A TRIP TO THE FLEMINGTON CHEESE FACTORY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 663, 21 November 1882, Page 2

A TRIP TO THE FLEMINGTON CHEESE FACTORY.

Our friend Mr Checkley, the vice-presi-dent of the Farmers' Club, visited Flemington last Saturday week to see how that factory was managed, and has kindly consented to make his experience public, for the benefit of Peninsula farmers. He says:—On Saturday, the 11th inst. I started from (Jhristchurch at 8 a.m. for Ashbiirton, by the express train. After a pleasant trip, I arrived in Ashburton at 10.30 a.m., and at once went to see my old Ashburton friend, Mr Beecher, who now keeps the Central Hotel at that place. My guide to the hotel was Mr Robert Hughes, formerly Mr Garwood's book-keeper, who is as kindly as ever. I intended to stop with Mr Beecher till Monday, and so leaving my carpet bag there, I started for the factory at Fiemington. My intention was to hire a horse to carr/rhe, but I met the contractor for the buildings at Fiemington at Mr Poyntz's office, and he kindly offered to drive me there and back. Mr Poyntz was most kind to me, and directly he heard I was from the Peninsula, he kindly gave me a letter of introduction to the manager, Mr Harding. I therefore made a start, and had a pleasant drive past Tinwrald. When about two miles from Fiemington, I met Mr Bowron and the schoolmaster driving into Aehburton. I need hardly say we had a pleasant chat, but I was sorry to ascertain that Mr Bowron was returning to Christchurch, and could not spare time to go back with me. He told me, however, I was sure of a hearty welcome, and begged me to give him a call in Chiistchurch as I I was going back. On arrival at the factory, I gave Mr Harding the letter of introduction, and he welcomed me most cordially, 1 and invited me to have lunch with him. \ After lunch he took me all over the factory, with the working of which I was much pleased, and I consider that every one connected with cheese making should also pay a visit, as much is to be learned by seeing the operations actually performed. I must here bear testimony to the great [ kindness of the manager and under manager who fully made me understand the difference between the present system of cheese making and that in vogue 24 years ago. I may here mention that much of the cheese on the Peninsula has been made on the system advocated in the books of .Mr Harding, senior, the father of the present manager at Fiemington Cheese Factory. My first visit was to the milk room, where the milk is received from the farmers. They deliver it twice ft day. The evening's milk is put I into large vats, of which thore I are eight, only two being at present used. The milk is weighed as delivered, and an account taken, fourpence per gallon being the price paid, the amount due to every farmer being settled in cash at the end of every month. As soon as the milk is all in at night, a stream of cold water, pumped by the engine that works the rest of the machinery, is driven into a casing between the vats that hold the milk, and the outer covering. The outer covering of each vat'iiß'iron\ and the vat itself tin, leaving a space of four inches, into which this water runs, this keeping the milk at an even temperature in the vats. The vats j are about 2ft Bin deep, 9ft long, and 4ft broad, running on castors. They can nil be easily taken to pieces for cleaning purposes. These vats move on iron castors, and can be wheeled anywhere about the floor where most convenient. The room is commodious and very lofty. In the morning the fresh milk is added to that already in the vats, no vat being more than half filled over night for this reason. After all the milk is in, steam is turned on to bring it up to a fit temperature for Betting, the proper proportion of rennet and coloring matter having been previously added. When properly coagulated, the curd is broken up and scalded, by means of steam being introduced in the hollow casing outside the vats. After scalding, the whey is ran off through 4in pipes into a larger cistern, which stands some four chains off the factory, close to the piggery, These'piggeries are now in course of erection. : * When the curd, after being freed from the whey, is sufficiently firm, it ie placed in a cooler made for the purpose, and is pulled asunder instead of being cut by a knife. It is left then till it has attained a sufficient acidity, which it takes good judgment to ascertain. Sometimes the curd is left till next morning before being ready to be ground and salted, though in warmer weather a much shorter period suffices. At the time I was visiting the factory, I thought the curd was ready for being ground and salted, but to my surprise I found the manager was of a different opinion, and ordered it to be kept longer. The next place I visited was the office, where the system of book-keeping was shown to me, and we then went ro the press room, fitted with the latest improved presses and chessets. The room is a large and well-ventilated one. In this room f noticed a few moulds for making Stilton cheese, with which I was told Mr Bowron had been amusing himself. The cheese room was the next part of the building I visited. It was upstairs, and all fitted with shelves for storage purpose. It is a lofty, airy room, and contains storage room for a lot of cheese. On examining the cheese I saw they had every appearance of being really well made, and I have no doubt when they come to be sold, the shareholders will be able to appreciate what a good manager they have got. They have a different system of bandaging to that usually pursued here. The last tima of changing, they bandage them, and put them into the chesset to press the bandage into the cheese. It is intended to use revolving shelves for the greon cheese in the future, but they are not yet fitted. The engine room is in a special lean-to, the engine not occupying more than four feet of space. It is a compact little machine, on the newest compound condensing prin-

ciples. After a hearty farewell to the manager, I quitted die factory and proceeded towards Ashburton in ray friend the contractor's trap, in company with tho engineer. We haa a pleasant drive, but coming across the Ashhurton bridges I was driving mySttJf, wijen a fanner coining tho other way took a trifle too much of his share of the

road, and the naves of the two traps coming into contact, one of our shafts broke, though the other trap got off free. The gatekeeper waved his hand in warning to us that the train was coming, and I had to look pretty sharp, hut I soon got the horse unharnessed, and polled the trap across the remainder of the bridge in plenty of time. I need hardly say I was in a bit of a stew, and was wishing the new traffic bridge, for which Parliament has voted such a handsome sum, had been ready for use. As I got to Ashburtop in time for the express, I determined to get back to Christchurch that night. 1 called on Mr Ivess, but found lie was absent in Dunedin. Had Mr Ivess and Mr Bowron been in Ashbnrton, I should have stopped to visit the Long Beach Sale, but I did not care for the journey by myself. I had Mr Bowron as a fellow-traveller from Ashburton to Christchurch, and on arrival at the latter place had tea with him, and invited him to co.ne to Akaroa to act as one of the judges of dairy produce on New Year's Day. He kindly accepted the invitation. I had & pleasant but uneventful trip home.