VICTORIA FLOUR MILLS AND STEAM. BISCUIT BAKERY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2867, 3 October 1866, Page 4

VICTORIA FLOUR MILLS AND STEAM. BISCUIT BAKERY.

We visited yesterday the extensive flour mills and steam biscuit bakery establishment of Mr. Charles F. Partington, which have been fitted up with new and improved machinery. The buildings are situated on the west side of Symonds-street, nestled in umbrageous shrubbery and trees, and almost hid from the view of the p»3ser-by. The first noticeable improvement we observed, before entering the mill, was a new coke kiln, constructed on the newest and most; approved prinoiple, for producing a superior kind of fuel. A striking feature in its construction ' is that all the air, before passing into the is heated by means of flues, thereby rendering it a perfeot retort. It oauses combustion more quickly, and produces a muoh superior close-grained ooke than by the ordinary method of making coke, while it oan produce a larger quantity out of the same weight of coal. Passing from the kiln we entered the boiler-house, where there is erected a Cornish boiler, suitable for an engine of 15-horse power. It is placed in auch ft position that as little heat as possible may escape, which is in itself an important consideration. Next to this apartment ia the engine-room, where a patent vertical or steeple engine is erected, of somewhat greater power than is required to keep in motion the various machinery. It is constructed with a superheater, which heats the water above boiling point, before it enters the boiler. From the engine-room we enter the steam mill, which is fitted up with a pair of French burr stoves, together with dressing and smutting machines complete, Here the wheac is ground, separated, and the flour oonveyed into the bakehouse. Jnthe bakehouse there is what is termed the mixing machine, capable of mixing 3c wt. of flour every ten minutes. After the dough is properly mixed, it is passed through two powerful bake rollers, then rolled out into skeets thirty feet long. These are cut up into •mailer lengths, and afterwards passed through the cutting machine, during which process they are joined and form one continuous sheet. The sheet of prepared dough then passes underneath the cutters, which separate and stamp the cakes, the scrap 3 being removed at the same time by a very simple and ingenious arrangement. The cakes of dough, which are all exactly of the same size and weight, are passed along and laid on the travelling oven, which is 36 feet long. The biscuits, in passing through, are thoroughly aud evenly baked, whioh process occupies from eighteen to twenty 'minutes. They are dropped on to the kiln, there allowed to remain for a certain time in order to dry thoroughly, after which they are packed in bags or cases/ There are different cutters used for producing all kinds of fancy biscuits, picnics, &o. The biscuits are of first-class quality. All the machinery in operation is so admirably arranged, that a bag of wheat can be ground, passed into the bakehouse, and. baked into biscuit,in less than two hours. The machinery is capable of baking thirty tons of flour in the week. All the machinery is T. and T. Vicars and Co.'s (Liverpool) patent, which obtained the prize at the London Exhibition of 1862. It seems to combine the principal desiderata in all machinery, viz., durability of material, simplicity of arrangement, nice adaptation of the several parts to each other, together with easy and correct motion. The water used is principally supplied from the roofs, there being such a large surface, and is conveyed to the different parts of the bakery establishment by piping. Mr. Partington first introduced steam machinery for baking into Auckland about twelve years ago. The new machinery was obtained with the twofold object of economising labour aud producing a superior quality of biscuit, and was erected at a cost of between £2,000 and £3,000. The whole of the machinery, including the engine, has been erected in a most creditable manner by Mr Partington's two sons, under his own supervision. Adjoining the steam biscuit manufactory is the windmill, which was erected in 1850, and contains a number of lofts for storing biscuits. It is the intention of the proprietor to export larger quantities of biscuit than he has formerly done.