THE MAKING OF BUTTER.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XXIII, Issue 2975, 2 August 1912, Page 2

THE MAKING OF BUTTER.

THE SEPARATION QUESTION

INTERESTING FIGURES

Just at the present tune a question that is exercising the minds of many dairy farmers is the relative merits ot

home and creamery separation of cream. A representative ot a home separation company has bee.n through the district lately advocating home separation, and the directors of the Thames Valley Dairying Company have referred to the matter at the district meetings of its shareholders 'held this week. At the meetings at Manawaru, Ngarua and Waitoa both Mr Hubbard and Mr B^gnall spoke of the matter, md it was quite evident that nearly all the suppliers favoured creamery separation.

Mr Hubbard explained that none of the home separation companies had been able to pay out to their suppliers as much as the creamery separation companies. Last season the home

separation companies paid out at the rate n-^-d per pound of butter fat, the average grade ol their butter being go|. Compared with Thames Valley butter, with an average grade of 931, and a payment ot 123 d for buter-fat (exclusive of interest) there was a great difference. The Thames Valley Company, however, was going to allow those of its shareholders who desired to go in for home separation to do so, but the cream would be kept separate from the creamery cream and would be paid tor according to merit. They were going to give the home separated cream a fair trial, but they were not going to allo-v it to spoil the reputation ot the Thames Valley butter. Another matter in favour

ot creamery separation was in connection with the manufacture ot casein. The Government had sent an expert Home to make inquiries into the question, and it was possible that the c would be from i-Jd to 2d per pound on a butter-fat basis available for the skim milk lor the manufacture ot casein. Casein manufacture could not be earned

on on the tarm as it was necessary to have a large supply ot milk, and this could only be obtained at the creamery.

Mr Bagnall said that it was only by placing a gilt-edged butter on the Home market that they could get the top price. The reputation of New Zealand butter had been built up on creamery separated butter* and to get the best results the cream must be separated by an expert at the creamery. Mr Bngnall quoted figures to show that it was to the benefit ot the farmer to supply milk to the creamery rather than to go in for home separation. He estimated that to instal a separator on the farm (including the machine, building, etc.) would cost .£IOO, The cost of fuel, repairs, and interest on the money would be about j/,10 pur annum. He estimated the loss on skunmhig on the

farm at about five per cent, and this over the whole season would amount to about ,£33 12s for a herd of forty cows. I he difference in [ rice between home

sep uated butter and creamery separated butter had also to be taken into consideration. Allowing the difference to

be one penny per pouivl—an I the difference between Thames Valley and

home separated butter was greater than that last season—this would amount to 16s 8J per cow (on a basis of 200 pounds of butter-iat). For 40 cows the amount ior the season would be £33 6s Bd. Therefore if they added the three

amounts together they would fin I that the man who carted the milk to the creamery would get 18s 8d in a season from a herd of 40 cows morethan the man who separated the milk on the farm- The amount should surely pay a man to cart the milk to the creamery.