THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12937, 17 October 1907, Page 4

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

REPORT 1111 *? INSPECTORMr A.iMaopbSoa, "> ; .«! Dairies for Ohristchureh, in }» "j •mal report to tho Minister of Agn culture, states: — . /»u.:«t "Registered Dairies.—ln t » 6 _ l/d "": church, Now Brighton and Buinwr districts 494 application* for reg>«**tipn Sunder the Dairy Industry JM*» 1898,' were received, three Of wOWn number were refused on account ol the buildings end surroundings being qneuitable. Two licenw* were cancelled during the year owing to failure on'the. part of the tenant and owner mi each caso to maintain the building* and surroundings in sanitary, con .9 1 * tion. In an eariy-eettled district nee Christchurch inaiiy of tho dairy buildings are now old, consequently xt was found necessary in a number of instances tvhere premises had previously been registered to insist on new buildings being erected before • license would issue. "The long-continued and unprecedented spell of wet weather experienced during part of autumn, tiie whole of tho winter, and early spring, reduced the swamp and flat dairying lands to perfect seas of mud, and the approaches from the paddocks to the tailking-shcda, with the constant tramping of tho cows, wore in •condition hitherto unknown to the oldest dairy-owners in tho districts. During this period it was absolutely impossible to carry on dairy opera tione tin* der complete sanitary conditions owing to the mud which was everywhere, and to have taken action and prohibited the sale or supply of milk from the dairies suffering under these abnormal conditions would mean that quite 80 per cent, of those registered in tho district would have come under the bsn, and would have had the effect of stopping the milk supply of the City of Chrifrtohurch and boroughs adjaeont—a. proceeding which was not considered justifiable. "Seasons, Pasture, and Feed.—Th« first half of the year was cold and wet, drizzling rains being almost constant; tho latter pnrt was extremely dry. Pastures were backward iv the early spring, and the dry lauds suffered considerably from the dry summer. On the swamp lands the pastures and haycrops , were excellent. # The root-nrope have only done well in places. There will be c shortage ot both hay and roots for winter feeding. "Inspection of inspeotion ot tho hords for tuberculosis was retarded during tho year on account of tho services of a veterinarian being available only, at short period* to t«st auspicious cases with tuberculin. Out of a number of cows condemned and slaughtered, thirteen had tuberculoid udders or had the mammary lymphglands affected with the sumo disease. Contagious mannmitis is prevalent in a number of herds. The treatment adopted and recommended is frequent injections of the boracic acid 4-per-cent, solution into the infected qusrters, with massago and withdrawal of tho solution afterwards. Contagious abortion has been conspicuous amongst a number of herds, and is spreading. Instructions how to deal with the disease aro given whenever it is discovered. "Milk-testing.—Some hundreds of samples have been taken end analysed, and they give evidence that the Quality of the milk supplied has much improved,' and that the'standard, with few exception*, ie high . Tht percentage of adulterated milk is much smaller than formerly. Five dairymen were convicted during the year for either adding water to milk, watering and skimming milk, skimming milk, or adding skim-milk to whole milk, and fines ranging from 10s to £iO With costs were inflicted. Another dairyman was charged with adulterating cream, ajul nlso adulterating JDjJJtJai ndding"l)o/!cio acid as a be pleaded jniilty to both charges, and was;fln*d # £2 and cpst*.;/The pernicious practice "on thn part of eomo dairy-men-of adulterating milk will not be etopped until heavier fines are inflicted fey the Magistrates. The email fine*, inflicted in the past when serioun adulteration has been proved* or ■•©• ond offences committed, is an incentive to many to continue or begin the practice.