8 July. 1907.] Dairy Produce Export Trade. 395 



'• First class superfine," " First class," or " Second class," as the case 

 may be. Owing to the late beginning and the large quantity of butter 

 coming forward for export and the extent to which the classification sec- 

 tion has been availed of, the Department was unable through being under- 

 manned to put into operation clause 17 : — 



" The exporters shall give to the officer any information desired bv him as to 

 the date of churning of any butter . . . submitted to him for in- 



spection.'' 



Needless to say this section will be enforced in the future. 



Hitherto, the practice has been to select three boxes from each brand 

 at random. It can easily be understood that samples so selected may not 

 in some instances be truly representative. As far as possible the brands 

 were hidden from the graders but in the height of the season with a 

 limited staff this procedure could not be invariably followed, and when it 

 is stated that as manv as 12,000 boxes of butter were received in a single 

 dav the difficulty of so doing can be appreciated. It is intended to have 

 all brands hidden from the graders in future by having tin covers fitting 

 neatly over each sample box with a 2 -inch hole in the centre for the trier. 

 These covers will be numbered and the graders will only recognise a box 

 by its number, a clerk afterwards connecting it with the brand. Factory 

 managers when despatching consignments will require to indicate in the 

 advice note the number of sub-marks included in the consignment and the 

 number of boxes bearing each sub-mark. This will enable one box of 

 each mark to be taken as a sample for the grader to examine, and a truer 

 verdict as to the quality of the w^hole consignment arrived at. 



As there are a few who do not yet understand the interpretation of 

 grades as prescribed in the regulations, it will be well to m.ention that 

 " First class superfine" is a butter that no one can find fault with. It 

 may be perhaps to some extent deficient in fine characteristics such as a 

 full, nutty flavour, and aroma that go to make up a perfect butter, but 

 if the butter has no apparent defect it comes into the " First class super- 

 fine " grade. Highest scoring butters receive 98 points; 99 and 100 

 being reserved for those but rarely encountered. Ninety-eight shillings per 

 cwt. is practically lOjd. per lb., 94s. per cwt. a full lod. per lb. ; the mini- 

 mum for this grade is 94 points so that " First class superfine " is covered 

 by a range in value of |d. " First class " embraces that which is fit 

 for any good table and which although marred by any one or more of 

 the defects usually found in butter such as " Slightly cloudy moisture," 

 " Slightly mottled," " Slightly stale in flavour " &:c. is — taken on the 

 whole — a good sound butter. As alreadv stated it is such as the better 

 class consumer would tolerate on his table at a price below the top ; 86 

 points, the minimum awarded to this class, if put in shillings, means 

 9. 2d. per lb. and 93s. 4d. per cwt. (93 points is the maximum) equals 

 lod. per lb. so that the first class butter is covered by a range in value 

 of |d. per lb. " Second class " includes that fit for table use by those 

 who are not very particular in this respect. On the one hand consumers 

 with decent palates would not care to have it on their table, and vet a 

 verdict that it was a " Pastrv " butter and conserjuentlv unfit for table 

 use could not be justified. The minimum points are 75 and as 75s. 

 equals 8d. per lb. this class of butter is covered bv a range in value of 

 nearly i|d. 



Fortunately these interpretations agree with the actual difference in 

 value on the local market when it is in a healthv condition, that is to 



