HOME SEPARATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 498, 4 May 1909, Page 8

HOME SEPARATION.

THE TREND OF,NEW DEVELOPMENTS. |-Very. iatontly are those concerned ' with .the buttori industry.watching.tlie'-'steidy but mire encroachment of the' home, separator.' They' : recognise • that' tho inoyemenii is now past stopping.*.lt isvgetting.a grip of tho dairy 'farmers,: and .those who. regret its advancement ceasing to confine ' all th'eir attention to talking against.it, and are beginning to'".consider/seriously,.; how- -Bhey. shall meSt"itiali'way and,make'the best of ■ it.'-'-' i '■':<■-'■':"■ *<■■■'': '•;. " v!/ : "; "?.V.,'.:': ,"' •■'.' Home separation has things to be: said.for it.-and'against it. ; ' By: separating, out his cream at .home the.dairy tanner avoids tie daily.-drive;to the factory; he. avoids friction over the weight of skim milk he ds to take back home from the factory; ho can dispense with a torso and cart, for the pony and sulky are. competent, in' many cases to take the.cream three times;a:week to the '"'fap-'i tory;- it will .lessen.;.wear and teffrof ;the milk cans; and ft' 'will: enable skimming' sta- ' tions to be closed.and factory 'costs■ to be lessened , in consequence.' Perhaps the Vision s of a motor-car tooting byways of the back-blocks-gathering ;thp 'cream' ia rather far-fetohed for? most districts; . but. appar-1 enidy. tlie /conveniences of :home separation.! are very real, and ''convenionces" is a powerful word in strennous farming. : : : ■,■ :| Agaaist the: homo (separation, the 'chiefone might say the only—argument •Jβ•■thai tho cream and. the resultant butter will be inferior.!. This is, of. course;-a-very strong objection,: and unless advocates of nomo separators :are propared to show' that this •fear:is groundless, homo separation' can hardly ..become a. strpng.link;in''*he chain of New ;, Zealand's ,bu-ttes industry; •■'At;present New- Zealand's .bntter'->ahis''izejrf' if: Danish; \ in,: the large' ioreiga' butter' feupp^es' of ■'•'Britain. ,; even though it reaches the london 1 market two months' later -titan: tne Danish article.. To lose, /that."position;• !.and',; come I down to a level of .;Australian prices would be a drawback that it is worth some sacrifice j to;, avoid, .'andapparently the grading of,cream.l .would become a necessary part' of the sys- j tem..;. It is. conceivable . that: tho losses ; through-inadequate separation and.through' ..W grading, might make homo separation .after/all an expensive method.'..'.■. . , .. . In theory home separation, ought to furnish,as good butter-fat as is produced at the stammng stations, and it means less.work But m practice it often dqes not do so. Even wTI 8 ' P 3^^"*^ -great' American ' .authority, confesses that home separatiou is the, lnfenor/method. , 'Possibly.with the. inspection of dairies-added'.to. their duties, the' omcers of ;the Dairying Division may be able I .to; make: the New - Zealand home separation '■ iSineularly and unexpecstedly; successful. ■ It' .will depend :not on the system,, but on'the care of thoso < farm. .: ■■•' At ; ™o. National E-airy Show next.'month separators may bo. expected'.to: be a prominent feature. • .;.'.;■ .■■..- :'■:..■■.;■