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DAIRY DIVISION. REPORT OP THE DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR. Wellington, Ist July, 1918, The Secretary of Agriculture, Industries, and Commerce. HEREWITH is submitted the annual report of the Dairy Division for the year ended 31st March, 1918. I desire to again acknowledge the valuable help rendered by Mr. W. M. Singleton, Assistant Director, in connection with the work. D. Oudjhe, Director of the Dairy Division. Season. The season ended 31st March, 1918, has been a favourable one for dairy-farmers generally in the Dominion. During the spring, however, a heavy rainfall accompanied by low temperatures was experienced in some of the principal dairying districts, and this had the effect of regarding the growth of grass for cattle, and thereby reducing the supply of milk and cream delivered to the cheese and butter factories. Then followed a somewhat lengthy spell of dry weather, which fortunately broke up in time to ensure an ample supply of feed, the result being a continuance of the milk ing-period for a longer time under more profitable conditions than is usual toward the end of the season. For several months during the summer the weather was abnormally warm, and this was reflected in the condition of the milk and cream supplied from the farms where no attempt was made to counteract the ill effects by a systematic method of cooling these products. Furthermore, the high temperature prevailing at that time severely damaged much of the cheese stored in the curing-rooms and other buildings wrongly constructed for the storage of this perishable product. In the month of March a disastrous bush-fire occurred in the Main Trunk district, causing heavy losses to the settlors, including the destruction of the dairy factory at Raetihi, The dense smoke from this fire penetrated to dairying districts many miles distant, and harmfully affected the milk received at the factories. As the cheese made from this milk possessed a distinct smoky flavour, it had to be graded lower on that account. Exports. Despite the increasing difficulties experienced by dairy-farmers and dairy companies in obtaining labour, the production of butter and cheese has been well maintained during the year. Owing to the shortage of shipping, however, the exports of both butter and cheese show a decrease as compared with last year's figures, the former by 49,537 cwt. and the latter by 63,943 cwt. The following table shows the quantities and classes of dairy-produce exported from the various grading-ports : —

Creamery Butter for United Kingdom.

Whey Butter for United Kingdom.

Port. Total Packages. I First Grade. Second Grade!. Third Grade. Auckland S-isborne NV,w Plymouth Wangamii Patea Wellington Lyttelton Dunedin 351,733 5,138 88,589 5,962 2,442 111,235 36,348 15,682 340,623 5,138 87,513 5,74-0 2,107 108,528 36,246 15,317 10,987 1,076 222 335 2,707 99 365 123 3 Totals .. 617,129 601,212 •15,791 126

Port. Total Packages. First Grade. Seoond, Grade. Third Grade. Auckland New Plymouth Wangauui Patea Wellington Lyttelton Dunedin 5,100 2,043 245 2,757 4,642 228 878 1 ,282 I . 187 15 2,242 3,470 192 322 3,818 856 230 515 1,158 36 550 14 6 Totals .-. 15,893 8,710 7,163 20