Hawke's Bay Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1897. A MODEL DAIRY FARM.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 10628, 5 June 1897, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1897. A MODEL DAIRY FARM.

In the ooarae of his reoent address ad the Koyal Colonial Institute Mr Samuel Lowe I expressed tbc opinion that; the Australaslan colonies will never achieve that preeminence in the production of dairy prodnco which natural conditions render possible nntll the Governments establish dairy nohoools and experimental stations snob as are provided in the United States, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Franoe, Holland, Switzerland, and Finland. Bat, ho added, In Hew South Wales one spirited private Individual is to a large extent filling tbis want. This la Dr. John Hay, owner of the Berry estate, which Mr Lowe said, is " better etjmpped for dairying than probably any other estate in the world.' 1 This property contains 70,000 acre?, of which 20,000 aores are reolalmed swamp. Most of the balance was bnsh. and the higher parts are yet densely wooded. The land Is rloh, flitnated on the sea ooaat, about 80 miles Math of Sydney, and has a line of railway running throngh it. In three years Dr. Hay ban spent £136,000 In the improvement and development of the estate. li> Is subdivided and let to farmer?, of whom there are are over 500, milking 15,000 oows, which produce annually £80,000 worth of batter. This, It will be noted, Is a very high average, bnt the cattle on the j estate ate nearly all denoendanta q*

stock of tbo best dairy strains Imported by Mr Borry, founder of the estate and 1 unole to Dr. Hay, Two years ago Dr. Hay commenced tho erootlon ot a large butter factory at Berry, the neutral township of the estate, His brother, Mr Alexander Hay, went to Europe and visited all the best dairy centres, both in the United Kingdom and in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and Franco, for the purpose of beoomiog aoqnaluted with the lftteßb and most sclentlfio methods of I bntter- making, and eeanring the moat modern and c Melon t dairy appliances. lie weal) baok lull of information, fiaklug wlthhlui hoU-U'dczauof the bust) Jersey onttlo ho could obliatu. It is vary Inrgely dae to his eriergy nnd ability and enthusiastic lnbora in the management of the Rstato tbnt itilmo dovolopod oo rapidly, Dr, Hay sparod no expenso in erecting bia factory ; tbe very beat machinery and all the latest improvements were embodied in the building, and it is one of the largest and moat perfect dairy factories in the world. During Deoembcr last over 120 tons of butter were made in It. On the estate, or contignous to it, are thirteen oreameriea, which dispose ot nil their oream to the Berry Central Batter Factory. The farmers llviop aroued each creamery take the new mill! there, and, after the cream is separated, return home with the slim milk for use on tho farm, They are paid the fall market prloe for their milk according tc the amount of butter fat it oontaina, and draw their money monthly, Tbe cream is sent dally from each creamery to the central factory, and thero, after beinp placed to ripen in vata holding 500 gallon) eaob, it la churned. la tho cream vati are a series of colls of pipes, tbroagt whloh water regularly flowp, and the temperature of which can bo regnlated tc any degree desired. These colls of pipes by aid of machinery, swing slowly froa ' side to side of the vats, and thus product a uniform ripening of the oream, It thoi passes to the great box ohurns, of whlct thero are three, two of them being thi largest in the world, as they each churt half a ton of batter at a time, Tbt machinery for the factory consists of foui englnea, one 40 horse-power engine belnf used for refrigerating purposes, tm otheru for driving purposes, and one kepi in reserve in case of a breakdown. Aftei the rimming tho butter passes on to tbt butter workers, which are circular revolv. ing tables, eight feet across, and hole Scwt at a time. After it is properlj worked It is removed to a cool loom, and the butter intended for export is packed in oube boxes, holding 561bs each, These are stowed in the refrigerating ohambor until taken onoa a week, al eight, in insulated railway trucks, cooled by ice, straight to the freezing chamber! of tbe shlpß in Sydney harbor, and thence brought to London. The cronm room, batter-making room, and storage room are all kept cool by the inside walls belns covered with pipes containing refrigerated brine. During three or four months oi the season over 80 tons of butter par week are made. At CooliiDgntla, which Is the homestead of Dr. Hay, he has recently ereotad a condensed milk faotory and established a dairy hard of nearly 500 oows. This factory is capable of condensing 2000 gallons ot milk per day. He has Jorseys, Ayrshlres, Holstelne, Shorthorns, and the looal Illawana cows in his herd. He is breeding these pure, as well as trying various eroDses, Every oow's milk is weighed daily, and entored in a book ngalusl her name, and her ration also recorded, Once a' week her milk la tested for butter fat. Evory oow not coming np to a fixed standard la removed from tho herd. Experiments in feeding are being Boientiflcally oarriod oat, and about 1000 tone of ensilage and 500 tons of hay, besides a variety of other fodder, are prepared for next winter 1 * use. The erection of the butter and condensed milk factories, and all the experiment h in connection therewith, are iotended for the sole benefit, in the first instance, of the farmers oo the estate. The rents vary according to the value of the land, some of them being as mnoh as 30a an acre pec annum. As a proof of the success of the management, Dr. Hay never has a vacant farm, an outgoing tenant always having a friend he wishes Installed as bis sncoesßor.