FARM AND DAIRY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 2763, 4 July 1894, Page 2

FARM AND DAIRY.

Mr E. Steeds, of Steeds and Co,, of Christohurob, was in Hawera to-day (Wednesday), It will be remembered that some few weeks ago we, pub- { lished an account of an interview bad witb him by the reporter of tbe Canterbury Press, in which Mr Steeds, who bad recently returned from England, related bis impressions. We learn that be is now touring the colony prior to another visit Home, intending to start next month so as to arrive Home early in the season. As one who baß been 40 years in tbe business, and has an intimate acquaintance with the British and colonial markets, his opinion is valuable, and be sees no reason to suppose that with ordinary care and with good sbippiog arrangements tbe English market will nob continue absorptive. For many years Mr Steeds' connection has embraced Taranaki, and bis olients will be glad to see him in person. (R.A.C.) A SMALL NEW YORK DAIRY. (Clipped from Hoards Dairyman.) Thirteen acres, three cows, 800 dols.— Being much interested in what farmers are doing with their cows, I send in a statement of my three-grade Jerseys, bged 6, 9, and 16 years, for the twelve months ending April 30, 1894 : No. lbs milk, 20,419— Receiptß from creamery $227 24 „ „ milk sold 2920 „ „ calves 8-45 „ >• piga 5995 $324-84 Fed on grain, value $2172, clover bay daring winter, timothy hay and ensilage besides. Have two horses and one, colt, also three 2-year heifers; have only 18 acres land. Thib man haß done well, very well, to reap nearly £20 per cow ; but we believe it is truly possible in these small holdings, where individual attention is greater, to achieve better results than in large herds. It shows conclusively that one cow well looked after will yield better profit than five that are ceglected. THE OLD MILKING MACHINE. Almost every week I read of an inquiry of milking machines, and the failures with different kinds. Now, I have one that has been in Q|3 for almost forty years, and etill it works like a ohiirn. It has never been out of repair 'but a few days at a time in all the years I have used it, and has been used for twenty years at one time without being idle a single day. It is even better than the calf, for it will milk a oow nearly as quickly as the oalf, but it never causee Bore teats. The machine consists of a good pair of hands, hung on to a man that loves the cows, and believes they have rights he Bhould respect, and that kindness is the first requirement to successful dairying. When you can find abettei milking machine than the one I am using just send me one oash on delivery. - VALUE OF MILK FOR CHEESEMAKING. (1) Bulletin No. 68, from New Yorl Agricultural Experiment Station, is Pan V. of Dr L S. Van Slyke's report of hn investigations relating to tbe manufaofcnn of cheese, and ia devoted to a disoussiot of tbe facts of actual experience as t< whether tbe fat in tbe milk affords i practical basis for determining tbe cheesi value of milk. Like all its predecessors or, more widely, like till reports oomin{ from Dr Van Slyke, this Bulletin sets oui the actual facts with scientific patienc< and exaotness, and no one is asked t( accept any conclusions that are not the necessary deductions from these faots ; hi asks no consideration for himself or hii personal opinions, but is as passive ai tbe scales and the Babcook tester. It ii much to be regretted that this Bulletii cannot be plaoed in the hands of even man who furnishes milk for cheese making, for it is the patroa at last whc must decide whether the cheese-making industry shall be run upon businesi principles of equity and justice to eacl individual, or whether it shall go oz degenerating until it ends in one universa oarnival of oheating. (2) For the benefit of those who bavi not followed oar investigations during thi past two years it will not be out of plaoi to state what is the character and exten of these investigations. In 1892 expert ments were made one week in each month from May to Ootober, in five ohees< factories, situated in counties, making at average of ten experiments at each factory In addition, experiments were made a this station one week or more in eaot month. In all, there were made in tb< season 1892 106 experiments, in whict there were used 200,0001bs of milk representing the product of about 150 C different cows. The work of 1893 was upon 750,0001b5, representing the average of not less than 5,000,0001bs rf milk, tbel product of- 15,000 different cows. Tbe results of the two seasons' work agrees with surprising closeness, especially when the unusual conditions of weather prevailing during the season ol 1893 are considered. (3) Why should the old method be discarded ? (i) Because it is based on t'le ' false assumption that all kinds of milh i have the same cheese-producing value. ' It fails to recognise the fundamental fact that milks differ in regard to the amount 1 of cheese *bey can produce.' (ii) Because 1 the method, being founded upon a false [ basis, is unjust, and is, therefore, not ' businesslike. By. tbis system, money that 1 belongs solely to the producer of tbe Better milk is taken from his pocket and trans, ferred to that of his neighbor, who produces poorer milk, (in) Because the old system discourages the production of better milk, and is a positive' barrier to any improvement. When milk is paid for by weight alone, then more money ' can be gained by increasing the amount of milk produced without- regard. to iia'cpm. position. It is a well known fact that under this system the composition of milk has deteriorated in the last generation, and, so long as a premium was offered for increasing the amount of milk produced, there was no inducement to pay any .attention to tbe composition of the milk, if only.it met the legal requirements. ■ (iv) Because the old system encourages 'he addition of water, tbe removal of cream, and all other similar forms of dishonesty. When quantity and not quality is paid for Borne will be found who will try diehonesty to, take advantage of tbe system ; and, this can hardly be surprising, w.bsn the system itself is founded upon an untruth, and is itself dishonest. (4) Why should the amount of fat in the milk be used as a baßis in paying for milk at cheese faotories ? (i) Because tbe amount of fat in tbe milk offers the most aocurate, practical, and just basis we bave of determining tbe cheese producing value of milk, as shown : (a) By tbe fact that tbe two cheeseproducing compounds of milk, fat and casein, are present, as factory milk in fairly uniform quantities are proportionate to one another, such variations tbat do exist are so very slight tbat, they do not affeot the practical results ; (b) because in making nob milk into cheese the loss of fat is smaller than is tbe case with poor milk ; (o) by the fact that each Ib. of fat in rich faotory milk will make as much cheese as will eaob Ib. of fat in poor milk within narrow limits j (d) because the fat in oheese is the constituent r whioh largely governs the commercial value of oheese, being worth fully 12 times as much as the casein. (ii) Because tbis method recognises the fundamental truth that different milks have different values for both cheese and 1 batter making. (iii) Because this method being based upon the truth is just to all, and is, thert* fore, in tbe highest sense businesslike. It guarantees pay for what is in tbe milk that makes oheese. 'A r" ; ' • -

will result in an improvement in tbe oharaoter of tbe milk production. Why ? Because it offers to each dairyman sufficient inducement to improve the oondition of his milk. It put more money into the pookets of men who produce the best milk. This improvement will be realised as a result of more careful selection of dairy animajs, more attention to breeding, more intelligent and economical feeding, more humane treatment of dairy animals and better oare of milk. (v.) Because all temptation to adulterate milk by watering or skimming is removed, since a man receives pay for exactly what he farniabeß for what is of most value for cbeese-making. Tbe statement some* times made that a man could furnish milk made abnormally rich by adding cream to milk and thuß receive money for muoh more oheese than suoh milk would make is rather frivolous, sinoe such tampering, ; if carried on to 3 paying extent, could ba muoh more readily deteoted than either, watering or skimming,- . ' , , (vi.) Because the adoption oi tbis system 1.C3 at the very foundation of the future improvement of the dairy industry. Nothing will so quickly open the eyes of tbe dairymen and show them the' n&ed of improvement in milk production as the application of this system to tbeir herds and individual animals. (vii.) Because improvement in the oharaoter of dairy animals and in 'the consequent yield and composition of milk meanß economy, and' therefore increased' profit. , Our investigations with different, breeds of dairy animals bas emphasised the faot tbat a pound of fat in rich milk is produoed at a lower cost than in poorer milk. It would not be difficult to show that it would be easily possible within &- few years to increase the yield' of our annual oheese product by an amount equal in value to one^fittb of its total, with fewer animals and at aotually less cost than at present, -