lo July, 1909.] Review of the Dairying Season. igo8-g. 405 



was free from that undesirable flavour. One parcel consisting of two 56-lb. 

 boxes of butter was kept at the Government Cool Stores for eight days 

 and then handed over to a firm of dairy produce salesmen to have each 

 box sold separately on its merits. The result was that the butter manu- 

 factured from cream kept in clean cans realized jd. per lb. more than 

 that made from the same cream which had been kept in vessels off which 

 the tin was worn. A separate experiment was conducted at another factor\ 

 on the same lines, with exactly similar results; the parcels were three days 

 old when sold and realized |d. per lb. difference in price. A third 

 parcel was manufactured at still another factory and when fi\-e clays old 

 both portions realized the same price. 



Duplicates were kept in each case and these with an additional one are 

 here for your inspection. They were all made in March and consequently 

 are now ten weeks old. For the past week they have been O'Ut of cool 

 store. They were examined yesterday by officers of the Department, who 

 report a difference in favour of i, 2, 5, and 7 points respectively in the 

 four experiments, the one showing the greatest variation being matured 

 in the vat containing the cream off which the tin was worn. The degree of 

 rust accounted for the difference. 



Cream Grading. 



Cream delivered to factories varies considerably in (|uality. Some may 

 be made into butter worth is., whilst the other produces butter worth under 

 rod. i^er lb., the intermediate loss being due to improper treatment. It 

 iL surprising how few there are who do- not cool their milk or cream. I 

 dare say there is hardly an individual engaged in the industry who could 

 not give an intelligent lecturette on the importance of cleanliness and the 

 necessity for cooling cream as soon after separating as possible, and yet 

 how few places are there where any serious attempt is made to comply 

 with these requirements. 



The continuance of such laxity has at last stirred directors of butter 

 factories to request legislation providing for the compulsory grading of all 

 cream purchased for butter-making and payment accordingly. It is now 

 generally recognised that so long as the same price is paid for contaminated 

 cream as for the best, there is no impulsion to preserve and deliver it in 

 good order. As a matter of fact, the incentive to continue careful treat- 

 ment on the part of those already so disposed is destroyed. 



Officers of the Department, who visit butter factories which dO' not grade 

 or wiiich do grade and pay the same price all round for their supplies, 

 get the same admission — that whilst other factories are not grading, or 

 paying according tO' grade, they feel powerless to introduce or maintain 

 such a system. Many of them have advised the Department that the\- 

 would be most willing to comply with such a procedure if others were 

 compelled to do likewise, thus fully recognising the necessity of some action 

 in order to check the existing laxity and downward tendency. 



As overtures are being made at the moment to the Minister of Agricul- 

 ture by directors and managers of factories to have legislation passed which 

 will render the grading and payment accordingly mandatory a great 

 improvement during the coming season is assured. 



Overlapping. 

 The long periods between some of the cream deliveries suggest a method 

 of collecting which has been so successful at some of our leading butter 

 factories, which reminds me of the necessity for factories having an under- 

 .standing regarding the territory to be catered for by each. 



