THE BUTTER AND CHEESE TRADE. [FROM THE WEEKLY PRESS.]

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1852, 20 May 1884, Page 4

THE BUTTER AND CHEESE TRADE. [FROM THE WEEKLY PRESS.]

Ix our issue of last week we drew attention to the very untatisfa' tory state of our butter and cheese industry, and we pointed out the absolute necessity which cKistcd for immediate improvement in these particular industries. That is, if 'ye are to hold our own against our numeious competitors, all of whom are endeavouring to command the markets of Britain. As an instance of th.it apathy in the matter of improving with the times, we may cite the liish butter trade. Less than twenty years ngo Irish butter commanded the highest prices obtainable in the English market*. We have seen Irish butter which had been impoi ted into Victoria in the eaily gold digging days (in 1853), and which had taken from three to four months on the voyage, and still when it was opened for sale on the diggings it proved sweet and good, and sold readily for 3s per Ib. The butter was packed in oaken firkins up to 601b in weight. Old gold diggers will bear us out in this statement. Since those days Irish butter has been almost driven out of her own as well as out of the London markets by continental butter makers in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland and France. The Ameiicans are also making strenuous eftoi ts to obtain a share of the trade, and with considerable success. As further confii mation of these facts, with reference to the decline of the Irish butter trade, we append the following extract from a letter addressed by Canon J'agot (of dairy notoiicty) to the " Farmers' Gazette "of a recent issue. He s-ays — " May I again call the earnest attention of the dairy farmeia ot Ireland to a few facts that have occurred since I wiote on the above subject : — "Fust fact. — Extract from Kevinstreet, Dublin, market note of the 10th hist :— ' liish butter of every class nearly unsaleable, even so called fine a'e lying about in quantity, wanting in buyers ; in fact, it is foreign that is beating Irish in the capital of the country, and will continue to beat the native unless onr home produceis adopt foreign methods and send to market an aiticle of equal merit. The finer qualities of buttenne are superseding middling quality oiiginal native butteis. Producers should at once realise their po&ition. For yeais past we ha\c been beaten out of the principal English markets, and now the war of quality is biouglit home to us.' " Second fact.— At Hospital, County Limerick, on Tuesday last, I submitted a sample ot the finest Norman by butter (2s retail in London) and one of butterine, puichascd in a retail shop in Camdonstrcet (lid per 1b), and out of a jury of nineteen faimeis who tasted and examined both samples, ten declared the buttenne to be the butter. There aie now two butter ine factories in Limerick, and one commences business to-day in Dublin. "Thud fact. —The Danish Government have just had an official report presented to them by Professor Doccnt Fjoid, on a series of exhaustive experiments-, extending over twelve months, in which there wcic GOO separate experiments. 260 separator woi kings, 231 churnings, 187 analyses made, and in which 17,000 gallons of milk were used. All results as to yield ot butter and the comparative ttials were made under precisely identical conditions as to the quality and age of the milk, and the results proved that the yield of butter from cream separated by the separator was Oh per cent more than the yield when the milk wna churned, and 20 per cent more than thfit pioduced from milk set in pans in the ordinal y way in this country. And what docs this mean ? It means that a daily faimei who is producing, say, 200 lbs of butter per week will, if he put up a sepai ator, ha\c 401bs per week more, not to say a woid of at least 20s per 112 lbs increased \aluc for thp quality of butter made fiom separated cream. " Fouith fact. — At the Educational Dany, South City Market, Dublin, on Saturday last we churned 12 gallons of separated cieam, purchased by us from Colonel Tighe. Ashford, Co. Wicklow, and the yrcld of butter was silb — butter finer and better than any foreign, and equal in flavour to grass butter ; and yet I am told that nothing but grass will give the yield or the quality. Mem. — The Colonel uses ensilage instead of hay. "Fifth fact. —A winter calf is much more valuable and easier l cared than a spring calf. Fiesh butter in winter is neaily double the valuable of summer butter. Ensilage, as shown above, can faiily compete with summer grass for yield of milk. Theiefoic winter dairying will pay a farmer mich better than summer. "Sixth fact.— The secret of the success of the foreign butter, and, indeed, I may say the same of bntteiine, is its uniformity — in package, in colour, in texture, in salting, and, what is most important of all, irr flavour. The best way to attain this unifoimity, and, perhaps, the only way it can be done, is the starting of factories, and election, on the laige faims, of separators, the farmer selling the cream to the factory, and using the separated milk for leaiing calves. "Seventh and last. — At Hospital, on Tuesday last, there was an invitation com eyed to me through the Rev. Mr Poivpi, C.C. I addressed an open air meeting of upwards of 500 farmers for over an hour on dairying, and I never had a more attentive audience. Surely, this is a sign that "producers are beginning to ieali*e their position,' and if the faimeis of Hospital, with Rev. Michael Power at their head, establish the fhst factory in the County Limerick, I believe they will put substantial profits into their pockets, as well as materially advance the dairy interests of Ireland." The above extract is worthy of careful perusal of ail in any way engaged in the dairy business in New Zealand, and should convince such that the time has come when, in self-defence, our dairy farmers should be taking attention with a view to the establishment of such means as will enable us to supply a niaiketable article. An Association might be formed after the manner of the Bmtish Farmers' Ascociation. This body has oiganiscd a set of competitions to take place during the current year. A cup is oflored for the best kept and most piactically record, which shall show — " 1. Thejield of milk from an entiic herd of dairy cows not to number less than ten, of any bied. for twelve consecutive months, from February Ist, 1554, to January 31st, 1885. 2. The breed, age, last date of calving, and number of calves. 3. The value of cows on February Ist, 1884, and January 31st, 1555. i. Ihe system, ot feeding, showing the kinds of food and vaiiations accoidiug to season, &c. 5. Thegiossquantity and cost of food, and approximate cost per head. 6. The quantity of milk by weight on one entire day in each week, and the percentage of cream after twenty-four hours' setting in the cream tube. 7. The quality of the milk to be ascertained once a month, by analysis or other means. 8. How the milk is disposed of, whether sold by wholesale or retail, or made into butter, cheese, &c. 9. The amount of returns therefrom. 10. (And when practicable) the weight ot each cow at the beginning and end ot lactation, but this condition to be entirely optional. 11. A balance-sheet for the period. 12. The records to be the property of the association, who shall accordingly have the power to publish the whole of any part thereof. The record and valuation of the sows must be approved and signed by the nearest available dairy farmer, or neighbor, who is conversant with the systems pursued by the competitor. The systems of recording the results will be examined by an officer of the association at each dairy farm, and reported thereon. N.B. — In making the awards the judges will be instructed to select those returns which are not burdened with elaborate details, and which are best adapted fox the keep* ing of Recount?,"