AUSTRALIAN BUTTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2417, 7 January 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

AUSTRALIAN BUTTER.

Town and Country Journal. It is no wonder that the dairy farmers of the South Coast are lifting up their hearts in joy, and voices in thankfullness at tho news received of the success of tho sale of a quantity of Australian butter in the London market. That tho butter should havo sold wholesale at Is per lb in a depressed British market is cheering news, when the home market is literally glutted with fino butter at <ld and Sd per lb. This leaves literally a magnificent margin of profit to the Australian exporter of butter, and opens up potentialities of trade and of tho profitable disposal of a groat item of Australian farm produce, which can hardly bo over estimated. A.S it was butter from the South Coast districts which obtained tho price mentioned in London, it is natural that the farmers of those districts should take some pride in the matter ; but, while it is quite right to be jubilant over this new development of Australian trade, it is only fair that two or three circutnsfcauccs which conduced directly toward it, and which seem to be at presont unnoticed, should receive prominence.

The first of these is that the shipment of butter was altogether the result of the co-operative principle as applied to the manufacture and sale of butter, as well as of other dairy produce. The butter was sent by the South Coast and West Camden Co-operative Company, which, since its dispatch, has been sending similar shipments in the fortnightly boats of the Orient Company. Consequent upon the mode of its manufacture, it was of uniform quality : and what that quality was may be judged from the telegram received from London, which announced its sale and said that it was excellent. But it is plain that these satisfactory results could not have boon.i.attained bad. the farmers of the South Coast and other constituents of tho company boon relying on mere individual effort. It is tho co-opcrativo system which has accomplished what has boon done; and it is tho co-operative system that the farmers must trust to keep up in the future what they havo jivst now done. Again, it must bo borne in mind that tho presont is an unexceptionally good poason for the production of butter in New South Wales. Pasturage is so splendid and so abundant that tho land is literally flowing with milk ; and the result is that, as noticed not long ago by a contributor to the Town and Country and Journal, tho best butter is literally going , n begging in tho Mudgee district at 4d per lb. But oxporience has shown us that this state of things is not likely to be continuous, although is will undoubtedly be periodically recurrent, However, tinios of drought aro ae certain to come as the sparks are to fly upward; and what the farmers should now take heed of is to make such provision for thoso times of drought as shall ensure tho supply of Australian butter to tho London market not being spasmodic. Unless tlieso things are thought of now, our rejoicing may soon bo found to bo somewhat premature