DAIRY AMENDMENTS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 299, 4 December 1935, Page 5

DAIRY AMENDMENTS

Explanation of Changes

‘‘PRIVATE DAIRY” DEFINED An explanation of recent amendments to dairying regulations is put in concise form by Mr A. E. Morrison, solicitor for the Department of Agriculture, in an article published in the current issue of the Journal of Agriculture, and includes the following:— By the dairy-produce general regulations, amendment No. 3, which came into force on September 12, various amendments have been made to the general regulations governing the manufacture and export of dairy produce. In the following notes the principal changes in the law are recorded.

Hitherto no definition was provided for the term “private dairy” for the purposes of the regulations, but premises not sufficiently equipped with appliances, drainage, etc., to justify registration as a creamery or a cheese factory were registrable us a private dairy. Since the restrictions on the transfer of supply do not apply to private dairies supplies of milk or cream for any registered private dairy could be drawn from any farm-dairy in open competition with owners of creameries and cheese-factories. The operations of a private dairy are now restricted to the supply of milk or cream produced from cows depastured on the farm-dairy so registered, the average number of which in any month does not exceed fifty. MILKIN GSHEDS. With a view to securing improved conditions in and about farm-dairies various amendments have been made which are designed to improve the quality of the supply from such dairies. In the case of milking-machines provision is made for the connections to the vacuum tank from the vacuum-pump reieaser, etc., to be fitted with approved unions so as to permit the connections to be readily dismantled. In addition to being notified in all cases where it is intended to erect a new milking-machine or to re-erect a used milking-machine on a farm-dairy, an officer of the Dairy Division for the district must now be notified of intention to erect or re-erect a vacuum pump or a milking-machine engine. The floor of the milking-shed, yards, and exits must be made of concrete or other material impervious to moisture. Where skim-milk is delivered from the the separator to a pipe connected with a skim-milk pump the pipe must be of tinned brass and be provided with a union at the skim-milk pump so as to permit the pipe and pump to be readily taken apart and cleansed. The arrangement and design of the separator-room and engine-room on the farm-dairy where both rooms are under the same roof have been modified to permit the walled passage between the two rooms to contain openings only.of such size as are necessary to provide for the transmission of motive power by belt where a belt passes from the engine in tjie engine-room to a vacuum pump or a counter-shaft in the relenscrroom. By an amendment to the regulations governing the transfer of supply the open months in the South Island will in future by July and August instead of September and October as hitherto. marking of butter. The general prohibition against marking butter for export with words indicative of high quality such as “choicest,” “choice,” “superfine,” or “superior” has been modified to permit such words or words of similar import to be branded on packages of butter intended for export in the form of pats if the grade assigned to such butter is that prescribed for “finest.” If on being graded the quality of the butter is not, in the opinion of the grader, of the standard prescribed for “finest,” he shall decline to furnish particulars of the grade or to issue a grader’s certificate until the words indicative of such high quality have to his satisfaction been removed from the packages. No butter in the form of pats of a grade lower than that of “finest” shall be exported in packages bearing thereon or enclosed therewith or attached thereto any such words indicative of high quality. SARANAC BOXES. Various amendments are made to the specifications in respect of export but-ter-boxes. With a view to eliminating mould growth on butter-boxes the use of rotary-cut timber for the manufacture of butter-boxes is prohibited. The timber to be used must be sawn timber, and the ends of all boxes must be planed smooth on both sides. The thickness of boards for the standard box, the sub-standard metal-bound box, and the Saranac box must be o fthe dimensions hitherto prescribed in dry finished thickness. The boards for the top and bottom are increased from to Ilin, in width. The top and bottom boards of the box must be nailed to the sides by at least two nails per nailing edge evenly spaced between the metal bindings on the box. The thickness of the boards for the Saranac box must be not less than Jin. instead of din. as hitherto. Both side edges and each top and bottom board of the box instead of one side edge only as hitherto must completely cover the side edges of the adjoining side boards. The end board of the box must be affixed by not less than four nails instead of three as hitherto. The timber used in the manufacture of cheese-crates must be of such species as are approved by the director of the Dairy Division. In addition to the foregoing, other amendments, being either consequential or of a more or lees minor nature, and, in consequence, self-explanatory, are included in the regulations under review.