lo July, tqii.] RcvieiL- of flic Dairviiig Season. 427 



Rather than incur the expense that would be involved hv the ''' cloak- 

 ing "' suggestion. I would recommend that provision be made for disputed 

 verdicts to be settled summarily by arbitration. The trade could nominate 

 two or three outside experts, one of whom would always be readilv avail- 

 able, and managers of factories could advise their agents of the score 

 expected by them. Failing official agreement, a formal protest could be 

 lodged and the matter settled forthwith. 



Churn Marks. 



Hitherto, the method of churn-marking was left to the discretion of 

 butter factory managers themselves. Letters or numbers on the boxes or 

 a combination of both with a rubber stamp were suggested. So confusing 

 was the result that it has been most difficult to identify and record some 

 of them. As a uniform practice must be adopted it is suggested that 

 numbers only be employed to indicate thr numlx-r and date of each 

 churning. 



The tigurt- •• 1"' placed over the number '" 16 '' would signifv the first 

 churning of the i6th of the month ; the figure " 2 " over the 16, the 

 second ; '"3 "" over t6. the third of that date: and so on. 



Brands and Marks. 



Attention is directed to the want of uniformity in brands, especiallv 

 as to '■ Unsalted,'" " U.S.," churn and .shipping marks. \\'hen the boxes 

 from the various factories come together it is anything but pleasing to see 

 the various colours employed. Different shades of red and brown pre- 

 dominate whilst some are black. In future, it will be necessarv to have 

 all brands in some dark colour other than red. This is provided for in the 

 regulations whicji come into operation next season. 



My attention has been called to the necessitv for .some more distinctive 

 brand for unsalted butte-s. and I am led to the opinion that the best 

 solution f)f the difficulties usually encountered under the present svstem 

 would be to employ separate bramls altogetlitr for unsalted from those 

 used for salted butters. 



Butter Boxes. 

 Many factory managers are to be commended for the wav in which thev 

 see to the handling of their boxes. A gradual falling off in care was 

 apparent, however, towards the end of the season. Some boxes showed 

 evidence of being placed on the ground or on unclean lorries. Straw should 

 be first shaken on ihe bott(jm of the cart or waggon, and also on the floor 

 of the railwav truck. Attention to points like this will le well repaid. 



Finish. 



.\s with the branding and care of the boxes, so with the finish i.s strict 

 attention necessary. Slo\enliness in regard to l)Uttir is U'vond partlon — 

 the strictest atteiitinii lo detail must be observefl. I'hin s(juare slips of 

 paper improve tiie top of the butter before folding over the lining. An 

 excellent advertisement .sometimes employed is in the form of a slip of 

 good (|uality butter ])aper -not too heavy bearing the factory's trade 

 mark and the e(;inpany's name, describing u\w genial climate, the lx\iutiful 

 condition under wiiich the rows pasture. tiie care exercised in the making 

 of the liutler. and so on. 



Another way of finishing the to|t. which is coming into fashion in N'ew 

 Zealand, is by luriiiiig in the (orners of the la^^t two linings foMed over. 



Q -^ 



