EXPORT OF CHEESE TO THE ENGLISH MARKET.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1518, 28 March 1882, Page 4

EXPORT OF CHEESE TO THE ENGLISH MARKET.

« At a meeting of the General Committee of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, held on Friday, February 3rd, 1882, Mr J. R. Hill, President of the Association, read the following report : — "It will be within the recollection of most of the members that I, as President, sent by the Opawtt, about the end of August, one of Mr C. B. Candy's cheeses to England, with a view to test, whether, under proper conditions of ripeness and packing, there was any difficulty in sending this product of the Colony to England in such a marketable state as would ensure its being purchased there at a price that would pay producers. Mr Candy was good enough to select one of his prime cheeses, about nine or ten months old, weighing 79Jlbs., and the manager of the Shipping Company, with commendable liberty, allowed the case to be taken free of charge. The cheese was packed in a small piece of common calico, and placed in an ordinary deal box with about two inches of sawdust between it and the wood. It arrived in England about the middle of November, in splendid condition. Through the courtesy of Sir Dauiel Cooper, whose zeal in forwarding the interests of all the Colonies is so well known, the cheese was distributed amongst various representative gentlemen, and the general verdict was that it was of very high character, and quite equal to the best Cheddar ; the praise was so general, that there is every reason to believe that the cheese viewed by general comparison with the high-class ones which are placed upon the London market, may be said to be quite in the front rank. lam permitted by Mr J. L. Coster to say, that he was picsent at a tasting of it, and he endorses all that has been s.iid in its praise. What concerns the shippers most is the knowledge that, if this product be propeily matuied (assuming that it was made with the necessary skill and care in the iirst instance), and packed with some non-conducting material like sawdust, there need be no apprehension as to its reaching England m a marketable condition. Experts have given Sir Daniel the advice, that the heated hold of a ship loaded with wool, &c, is not the proper place for cheese to be stowed, but it is assumed that there need be no difficulty on that head, as, if the product became an article of regular export, no doubt vessels would provide a proper place for stowing it. I am sorry I was unable to obtain a reliable quotation as to the price of such cheese we sent would bo saleable at in quantity, for though Sir Daniel sent a sample of it to Messrs Cad bury, the the great cheesemongers of London, and to Messrs Fortnum. and Mason, the grocers there, (both of -whom spoke most highly in its praise), it could hardly be es-pectcd they would quote a price for it. However, sufficient was learned to make it manifest, that if similarly good cheese were &ent to England, and reached there in good condition, there would be no lack of purchasers for it. The thanks of the Association arc due to the shipping company for their courtesy and care in connection with it, and specially due to Sir Daniel Cooper, for the groat trouble lie took in distributing it to a large number of representative and influential people, who thus had the oppoitunity of learning that New Zealand is capable of producing cheese of such a high quality that it wonld meet with a ready sale in England." In reply to a question, the President said that the cheese had been in a case in the hold, but apart from any wool. Mr. Wilkin moved, "That the thanks of the Association be given to the President for his action." The motion was agreed to unanimously.