726 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



A FEW LESSONS FROM THE PAST BUTTER SEASON.* 



By R. Cratce. 



Perhaps since tlie inception of the butter export trade no season 

 has been more prolific and varied in experience than the one just 

 closed. Each feature of it is suggestive, and a study of them all will 

 emphasise the necessity of avoiding and remedying certain weak 

 methods. 



Fortunately the season for grass was prolonged well into the 

 summe)-, and the output has in consequence far exceeded the most 

 sanguine expectations formed this time last year. iSotwithstanding 

 the fact that many of the dairy cows missed calving, and others 

 started in very low condition, already over 14,000 tons of butter have 

 been exported and by the end of June, when the financial j'ear closes, 

 the value will approximate £1,500,000. 



Old Stored Butter. 



These exports included 1,000 tons carried over from the previous 

 season, and herein is to be found the first experience of the season 

 worthy of consideration. There was some stored butter on hand at 

 the opening of the season, nearly all of which was purchased by 

 speculators, and in not a few instances by grocers all over the country 

 in anticipation of a shortage duiing the winter to "provide for a 

 rainy day." 



Contrary to expectations it did rain, but in a manner not bargained 

 for. As the supply of fresh butter therefore was ample to serve 

 current local requirements right tln'ough the year, holders had to 

 ship, some of course selling here at a loss, though in any case the 

 stock had to be exported. This buttei- cost in some instances lid. 

 per lb., the storage amounted to nearly a })enny more, and with freight 

 and charges added, it should realise about 125s. per cwt. in London to 

 make both ends meet. It actually sold at about 80s. and 90s. per 

 cwt. Both investors and speculators lost in the aggregate at least 

 £35,000 on the transaction, for although the producers in the first 

 instance were paid more than the current value of the article, 

 ultimately the business proved a bad one for them in particular and 

 the dairying industry in general. It was stored butter, and butter, 

 unlike whisky or wine, does not improve with age. In the first place 

 it was not made to keep for any length of time, as it was manu- 

 factured, not for an export trade, but for the local market, and in 

 certain instances its treatment was not calculated to produce good 

 }"e.sults. Some of it changed hands in the middle of the storing period 

 and was taken from one freezing works to another. All this tended 

 to depreciate the quality of the stock of stored butter, and, preceding 

 the season on the London maiket as it did, meant a bad advertisement 

 for the industry. Everything that was possible to counteract that 



* A Paper read at the Annual Conference of the Australian Butter and Cheese Factories 

 Manageijg' Association, May, 1904. 



