5 July, 190S.] Rcvicic of the Dairying Season igoy-8. 433 



station, then its arrival would have been timed to meet the train without 

 having too long to wait. On the other hand, the more careless man would 

 be found to have neglected one or all of these precautions, the surrounding 

 dairymen being the losers. Although well aw'areof the difficulty of handling 

 butter in the country in bad weather I am thoroughly convinced that these 

 obstacles can be overcome and the loss reduced to a minimum. I have on a 

 previous occasion referred tO' the fact that two factories, the Corrvong and 

 Eskdale, situated further away from the railway station and in compara- 

 tivelv warm districts deliver their butter to the cool stores in a very creditable 

 condition. Corryong is over 40 miles from the nearest railway station 

 whilst the Eskdale factory has to cart its butter over 30 miles bv road 

 and then in each instance it has to travel 210 miles by rail. 



Prices. — The prices realized have been the highest ever secured in the 

 historv of our export trade. In February record prices were current in 

 London ; at that time of year under ordinary circum.stances prices are com- 

 paratively low and every one was astonished to find the mai^ket soaring 

 up and up till it reached 154s. per cwt. The average for the season 

 secured by our best factories will not figure out at much less than 120s. 

 per cwt. 



At your last Conference the best average price that I was able to 

 announce for the previous .season was 104s. pd., whilst the all-round 

 average was fixed at iocs. Many reasons have been forthcoming regarding 

 the cause of these phenomenal prices. The greatest factor no doubt has 

 been due to shortage of supply and the new legislation controlling the trade 

 in England has been generally credited with a considerable share. 



For the first time milk-blended butter and mixtures of butter and 

 margarine have had to face the market under their true colors. No doubt 

 margarine is a good wholesome food j and there is no reason whv a person 

 should not eat a compound such as milk^blended butter containing over 

 20 per cent, moisture provided they are so labelled. In previous years 

 from all accounts these commodities were extensively sold under the repre- 

 sentation that they were pure butter. 



Butter or Cheese. — During the season 400 tons of cheese were 

 shipped to all destinations, 34 tons being consigned to Great Britain as 

 compared with 46 tons the season before. It is satisfactory to know that 

 the qualitv was reported upon favorably and the prices compared well with 

 those realized by New Zealand and Canadian cheese. 



The cable reports appearing in the papers of 6th inst., read : — 



Experts well satisfied and consider best Victorian is about equal to average 

 Canadian. 



The value of the best cheese was stated at about 60s., and other lots 

 tapering down to 6s. less. 



Comparing the current season's prices it will be found that both 

 [sroducts are harmonizing once more. Till three vears ago, the prices 

 ruling for butter and cheese w'ere favorable to the export of butter from 

 this country ; then, owing to the phenomenal demand for cheese, prices 

 for it were much more remunerative in recent vears than those for butter, 

 which had the effect of diverting more of Canadian and New Zealand 

 milk into cheese than formerly. 



The follow'ing is an extract from The Pastoralists^ Review: — 



"Wellington, 1/5/08: — The exports of dairy produce from New Zealand for the 

 statistical year ended 31st March were approximately : — Butter r3,ooo tons, cheese 

 15,000 tons. For the previous year the quantities were, butter 15,000 tons, cheese 

 •9,000 tons." 



