29

H.—2B

The representatives of our cheese-factories and their makers would do well to follow the advice of our Instructors and Graders in regard to the building of their cheese; failure to put their best efforts into their work can only result in financial loss to the producer. One does not require to be long here to find out the reason why it is that our cheese does not fetch as much as it might do if the quality was of a higher standard : we lack uniformity. ('lacked rinds: Care is required to prevent the cracking of the rinds of our cheese, as this peculiarity is not regarded with favour by the trade here. Bandages: I have to report that quantity of our cheese have arrived here with the bandages split vertically. This will cause considerable financial loss to the company concerned. I would recommend that no cheese with split bandages be allowed to be sent away from the Dominion, but that they should be retained for local consumption. Finish of cheese : With regard to the finish of our cheese, I would like to draw attention to care being required in the dressing of the cheese. Exception has sometimes been made to the large " lip," more especially when the bandage has not been drawn up, and the result being a rather unsatisfactory finish. Canadian and English Cheddars do not show this "lip." I understand that followers are used with every hoop in England, but I do not know if this also applies to Canada. If we could do away with this " lip "it would be to our advantage. Size of cheese : The irregular size of our cheese is very noticeable here, and I would recommend that those companies who are using the smaller-sized hoops should give their attention to the using of the 80 lb. hoops as opportunity offers. Not only is there a likelihood of obtaining better prices for the larger-sized cheese, but it will be found more economical in the cost of production. I believe that Cheddar cheese made in. the 801b. hoop is the most profitable size for our producers to make. There is a certain limited market for "medium"—these are similar in size and shape to the " Dunlops "; also for "loaf" cheese, sometimes termed "truckles" here. Ido not think it advisable that these sizes should be made for export unless on the advice of the agents or by orders of the buyers. Caerphilly cheese : From information received I believe that the making of a certain quantity of this class of cheese by some of our smaller cheese-factories would be found to be very profitable. To fit in with market requirements here, the season would necessarily be short. Caerphilly cheese could be made in New Zealand between the months of September to, say, the first week in January. Prices for Caerphilly cheese generally rule, on an average, 7s. 6d. per hundredweight higher than the current prices offering for the Cheddar variety during the period mentioned. Packing cheese too green : Care should be taken to see that cheese is not packed too green. Sufficient time should be allowed for the cheese to remain on the shelves until the rapid shrinkage that naturally takes place during the early stages of the curing process ceases. No cheese should, in my opinion, be removed from the shelves for the purpose of packing until the tops and bottoms of the cheese is fairly firm and dry. Irregular shrinkage : The packing of green cheese is responsible for a good deal of the irregular shrinkage that is complained of by the trade here. I am of the opinion that the packing of the cheese should not take place until at least three weeks after making; after this period the shrinkage in weight would, under normal conditions, be covered by the allowance recognized by the trade. Packing of the cheese should not take place until the latest possible moment before railing to cool-store. It is reasonable to suppose that cheese removed from the shelves and weighed when only a few days old, and then held for some days in a packing-room awaiting transport, will show a very considerable shrinkage. Allowing for fortnightly shipments, those cheese packed a week or ten days earlier in individual shipments would show greater shrinkage in weight than those packed just prior to shipment. In factories where packing is carried out daily it is particularly necessary that the cheese should be of reasonable age before removal from the shelves. High temperatures is also a factor to be considered in dealing with the matter of irregular shrinkages. Marking weights and numbers on cheese-cases : During the season several instances have come under my notice where cases have been wrongly numbered. In some instances each end of a case was marked with a different number, and, again, the marked weights on the ends of the same case did not agree. Particular attention should be given to see that the shipping specifications agree with the numbers and marked weights of the cases. I have seen several specifications the weights of which did not correspond with the marked weights on the cases. These irregularities cause very considerable annoyance and trouble to those concerned, and every effort should be made to guard against such errors in future by those responsible for the weighing, packing, and marking of the cheese-cases. Temperatures : If cheese is submitted to high summer temperatures, any abnormal conditions that have existed after manufacture would be further aggravated, so much so that probably in many cases the character and monetary value of the article has suffered considerably in consequence. I am of the opinion that it would pay our producers handsomely to erect up-to-date cool curing-rooms at their respective cheese-factories, and take such steps as will prevent any deterioration of their produce, due to high temperatures, between their curing-rooms and the cool-chamber of the Home steamers. The saving in shrinkage and the production of a highergrade article would return them good interest on the money spent for such a purpose. I wish to make it clear that I believe that it is as necessary to hold the cheese at normal cool temperatures after packing as it is while in the curing-room. If cheese is submitted to high temperatures for ten or fourteen days after packing the benefit to be derived from cool curing-rooms is lessened to a very considerable degree. I have seen a considerable quantity of our cheese that was shipped from New Zealand during the midsummer season that had suffered very considerably for the want of sufficient protection from the evils of high temperatures. In some instances the battens were saturated with butter-fat, and the cheese were sealed to the centre-board owing to the exudation of fat from the cheese.