MILK FOR WELLINGTON.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 2

MILK FOR WELLINGTON.

NEW SOURCES OF SUPPLY, It is stated (savs our Manawatu corro spondent) that the Levin ,Dairy Company is contemplating supplying Wellington with milk. * v. ": .-.''i.-.' ; • ' There have, lately been sei'efal; ruinoura .■ of probable new 'competitors in- the, milk supply business of Wellington. The enter- ' pnsb of the Featherstpn dairy farmers in erecting a ,milk r cooling plaiit ; was given cbrisiderable publicity .in theso columns somo months ago. The chief-aim of that movement is to enable'milk to be sent in'good condition. to Wellington iri : the heat of summer.. as well as in: the,cool days bf winter. :i T IT.ho dairy farmers of Leyiri believe that "they, can send milk-to'town in as good condition as,,' . the fariners of Featherstoni and apparently all that is needed is. a satisfactory 'arrange-'; ment with the companies that: aim to'collect, the supplies and send them' to the city.- : In such an arrangemeht it is not .considered likely, that the prico will depend on; the-butter-fat test, but merely on the total-bulk. Butter factories,.-whicli ipay according . to ■ test, make uso only of the butter-fat,' arid set no therefore on the skim milk: portion. But in the city supply where retail sales.are made by the quart, volume alone counts.. Whether an extra price could be obtained from the Wellington, consumers-for inilk of a guaranteed test is extremely doubtful. Tho ordinary citizen values cream a little bit; but he values cleanliness and freedom' from : disease germs very much ".more'.-. In the course of a conversation recently Mr. Drysdalc, managor of the Goverriment. ex- i perimental farm at Levin, said that lie would not regret tlio decline of the rich-milk Jersey, which would naturally result from a systein of milk-pur'cliase by volume. It waa not, he said,, tho high-test-cotfs which usually gave the, greatest total of butter , per. annum, ..because;; tho. quantity .of .milk , they'' yielded-was often small in comparison. He--: believed -it ..would bp > a good thing if the coivs:of .larger yields todk tbq'i; places. , ~ . :.A . somewhat - different-, yiejri- however;-- is, 1 taken by., the admirers of- tha Jersey, for ,' they contend- land that will carry only, 100; shbrthonu Cows mil carry ;I50 ; Jerseys,. - a calculation which leaves the Jersey far ahead in .the yield: of butter fat per acre. . Levin, is a district that is. fast, becoming, settled witli.vmeiri of the small-farmer. type, , and as tho district, :at its shows arid-other-;. ;■ wise, has ample evidenco of a big pro? . pensity to be 'utilitarian, something gbbd'.. may, be expected to 'result from; the projecf now mooted. i