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



411 



certificates were procured, but the two second-grade certificates were not 

 available, and tlie Agent-General repo-rted that no certificate number was 

 discernible on the boxes complained of. In view of all the circumstances, 

 il; was evident that sharp practices had been indulged in and an attempt 

 made to throw the blame on the graders and the grading system. It is 

 ,simply remarkable how slow some at the other end are in recognising the 

 necessity for always identifying the certificate number branded on the 

 packages with the number on the certificates. Probably it is because the 

 number marked on the packages forms such an insignificant portion of the 

 brand employed — it is meaningless unless the certificate is produced. This 

 raises the question whether the time has not arrived when all packages 

 should bear a grade mark. In the absence of a grade brand the difference 

 •between a 91 butter and an 89 butter is of little consequence, and this 

 holds good with a 95 or a 94 butter. If the standards already fixed were 

 applied to all packages managers would be able to grade their cream and 

 thus classify their butter. I venture to say that if the grading svstem 

 'had been applied in its entirety during the last few years Victorian export 

 ■butter would have been on a very different plane from what it is on to-day. 



GRADING EXPORT BUTTER. 



In spite of Departmental supervision Victorian buttef is still at times 

 maligned. Only a few weeks ago a letter appeared in the Age from an 

 Australian in South Africa, stating that certain reputable Victorian factory 

 brands were used to cover very inferior butter. It was found on investiga- 

 tion that no butter bearing any of the three brands referred to by the 

 writer had been shipped there since 1906 — three years back. Such low- 

 down trade tricks must do much harm to the reputation of Victorian butter. 

 The brands, as far as could be gathered, were not registered there. The 

 m.atter was brought under the notice of the Transvaal Government and 

 copies of the Pure Foods Act and Commerce Act and Regulations were 

 forwarded to show the precautions insisted upon here to have goods, food 

 products especially, covered with a true trade description when offered for 

 sale. It is to be hoped that the South African authorities will take an 

 •effective rrieans of stopping these fraudulent practices. 



