THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 4962, 27 February 1895, Page 3

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

MR McEWAN INMASTERTON.

Mr McEwan, the Government I Unity Expert, mot a number of sottiers interested in tho dairy industry, in the Temperance Hall last evening. Mr I. Sykos occupied the oluirnud introduced the speaker, Mr McEwan, in opening his address, stated that he felt the position he occupied as a most important one. He recognised that in many cases experts were often looked upon with suspicion, and were too often held to he theorists. He would endeavor to make as clear as possible some important points in the dairy industry.

Thcquestiouof supply anddemand was probably one of the most important subjects. Seven years ago the Canadians never thoughtof having the Australian Colonies competing against them in the dairy industry. Canada had increased her exports by double and still found a ready market at fall rates. He congratulated the Colony of New Zealand on having—except perhaps in the matter of transport-by farlhe best opportunities for successfully carrying on this important industry. Expensive transport was, of course, detrimental to any industry, and the speaker instanced tho difference of cost in South America, India, and other places, in the matter of wheat growing, as compared with North America. But

Till-: DAIRY IXDI'STUY showed how concentrationstepped in. A ton of wheat was only worth say £4, whereas a ton of butter was I worth from £BO to £?0. and in this t-huy had very considerably the advantage over the cheaper article. [ Dealing with the competition with Denmark, the advantages were all in favour of New Zealand, provided they exercised their skill and workod out the most scientific means of production. One most important point to be considered, was that only the very best article should bo produced for the English market; then they could secure a market and maintain it. There was really no question of over supply. Canada had expoited over 6,000,000 dollars worth of cheese in 1886' and in 1893 had doubled the export and got just the same value. Of course by careful study and scientific means, the quality was considerably improved in that time. They must all look for keener competition in the future than they had found in the past. But then they could depend on a market provided they supplied an I article of

UXiroitM (JIMLHT. He impressed on the farmers, that they must study their own part of the business; this was, the production of the best article possible, and how to do so at a minimum price. They must improve their knowledge, and not go backwards, but keep steadily advancing. The Department j of Agriculture in Canada employed the best experts to study the dairy business, and by experiments, they were able to assist the farmers in improving their manufactures. He found, in New Zealand, the cheese industry was in a better position than the butter industry, and ho considered that the prospects of the cheese industry were by far the most favourable, and by careful attention in the matter of the uniformity of the product at the various factories, it would be greatly improved; hut tin's could not be, till all would work on the same system. There was considerably more difficulty in the manufacture of butter. The principal trouble, was the temperature, and he had found, on testing the butter-milk in one factory, that there was a loss of one pound of butter in every lOOlbs, The refrigerating machinery and cool stores enabled the factories to place the butter iu the London market in the very best condition. All butter factories should have refrigerating machines; if they could not afford to get such a plant, they should go in for cheese. Speaking of

CREAMERIES, or as they called them in Canada " skimming stations," he considered it was not always wise to have the concern too large, as they did not always get the best vesults. He had himself seen factories in this Colony that he considered were too large. They did not have them so large in Canada or iu Denmark, and in the latter country they had applied the finest scientific methods iu the world. He considered that no factory could get the highest results unless it used freezing machinery. He considered the business plan was on a better basis in Canada than in New Zealand. It was in this Colony of a more speculative character. A gallon ofmilk wasanunknownquantity, some factories reckoned on 101b, others 111b to the gallon. There must be in a co-operative concern a give and take principle, and he was | not in favor of paying or advancing for milk, on what ho called the "pulling" system. There were failings in human nature, and all milk was not found to bo of uniform quality. Milk must be paid for by the pro'ductivo value. They had found in Canada that the

UAIICOCK MILK TESTER had been of the utmost value to all concerned, because it was found for all practical purposes to bo correct and had been a great power in America, in making people honest, It was found to apply equally well for the cheese factory as for the butter factory, and by its use they were able to pay for the exact value of the milk. It was found that all cows will vary from day to day in the quality of their milk, and therefore it was best Jo adopt the " Composite," system of testing by which they collect a small quantity of every suppliers milk every day and by preserving this with bi-c!iromato of potash, and testing onco a week, jtbeygctan exact average of the ! marketable value of the milk. Speaking directly to the suppliers Mr McEwau advocated the greatest care in the selection of the cows, also in tho care of the milk after it was takeu from tho cows, and the neecessity for the use of ut combined (crater and cooler. In tho selection of cows tho best test must eventually be the scales, and the use of the milk tester. It was impossible to get a good milker and beef maker together. They must have a cow that the better they fed her, the more sho would respond with an increased supply m \ j mpi . ove( i quality of milk. Mr McEwan, in conclusion, stated that he would be glad to answer any questions that might bo asked, and give all tho information ho possibly could.

QUESTIONS. ! "P'y to a question Mr McEwan | again repeated what ho had said of the composite system by the Babcock | tester, as the fairest means between ieiwfcimJtoJadfflj,. There l should be confidence between the

manager and the suppliers, and the manager should be competentto make the test. He believed that it was the intention of the Department of Agriculture to establish dairy schools i during the winter, to which all factory managers would bo invited, where they would bo educated in all matters appertaining to testing and most approved methods of scientific dairy work. In reply to the Chairman, Mr McEwan said it would be possible to test sour milk, but it was difficult to ■get a rolinblo test.

Asked to advise whether the Te Te Oro Ore supporters should join the N.Z. Dairy Union, or form a Co-operative Company, Mc McEwan said he would advise the supporters to use their own judgment. He had indicated his own opinion of tho largo factory system, The site at Te Ore Oro ho considered a most satisfactory one,

On the question of capital required jnstartingco-opei'ativefactories,they had been supplied by the Government with the cost of various-sized factories ; probaby £BOO or £IOOO would lie required for a factory at Te Ore Oro.

On the question of the best grasses to grow for dairying, Mr McEwan said that, not knowing the grasses used, he was not yet in a position to advise, experience must be their guide. In reply to Mr Holdaway, Mr McEwan said that they found, the more fat there was in the milk, the more cheese they would get, They only lost one-fifth of a pound of butter fat in ut hundred pounds of whey. Mr Sykes asked what root crop and green feed would be the best winter feed for milk supply.

Mr McEwan said, that in Canada they prohibited their suppliers feeding their cows on turnips and rape, on account of giving a flavour to the product. They found mangles and green fodder, oats, peas—especially if mixed with maize-preserved in silo, the best feed, and by careful management they found they could get more milk in the winter, than they could in the summer.

On the motion of the Chairman a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr McEwan for his interesting address aud for the information supplied on dairy matters.