ADDRESS TO FARMERS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 21 May 1923, Page 6

ADDRESS TO FARMERS

DANGERS OF BACTERIA

(From Our Tokaora Correspondent).

A well-attended meeting or the local branch of the Farmers' Union was heid on the 14th inst. in the schoolroom to hear an address by Mr Wilson, Dairy Inspector for Hawera, Normanby and Riverdale factories.

The president (Mr H. E. Johnson), in introducing the speaker, eulogised the good work done by Mr Wilson during the past season. Although jir Wilson had started late, the grade notes showed a decided improvement over the previous year. In 1921-22 season the Tokaora factory had 201 crates of second grade cheese, and in 1922-23 season the number was reduced to 41, a decrease due largely no doubt to the able supervision »nd instiuctu>r. of Mr Wilson; if the actual visit ox the instructor had not helped the expectation of a visit had a gentle influence of cleanliness, so essential in the production of good milk.

Mr Wilson, oil rising-, was greeted with applause, and introducing his subject he said that" cleanliness would overcome nearly all the trouble in the milk supplied to the factory. A^ilk-. he explained, nearly always deteriorated between leaving the cow and arriving at the factory. Some farmers, he said, had their machines perfectly clean. yet their milk had been off colour on arrival at the factory. He (Mr Wilson) on examination of shed and surroundings, had found that they washed their cows on the milk stand, allowing the dsrina^e to accumulate under and around th-e stand, thereby causing trouble. Others had good stands and clean teatcups and pulsator, but forgot the vacuum service, especially the tanks, which, through ignorange on the part of many tanners, remained neglected, as thoy did not realise tnat the tank and service caused bad odours, thus introducing tiie bacteria into the milk through the releaser. Mr Wilson stressed the point by informing; his audience that the lactic bacteria increased at such a.rate as to breed sevei: or eight million in 24 hours.

Swamps and plantations were alsr a cause of bad milk. Cows wading through creeks £ot their teats dirty. and on arrival at the shed were washed, but not always properly. IL*=plantations were the camping ground and subsequently became dirty. Ihe cows, lying down, got bacteria on tho teats, also in the aperture of the teats. Mr Wilson strongly recommended every farmer to draw off a few streams of milk into a bucket or tin (not <n the floor), the loss being only trifling to the ultimate gain. The cowshed and yard wa,s another weak soot in th* production of milk. in conclusion, Mr Wilson said everything connected with milk should be spotlessly clean—for the machines plenty of boilir.fr water daily: for the cows and utensils plenty *of sun; for the shedyards and m~iik stauc good drainage. lie urged every IV-rmer either to erect a long chute o.r install a cooler, both of which considerably check the rapid increase of harmful bacteria.

Many questions were asked and satisfactorily answered.

Mr Wilson was accorded a vote of thanks, which was carried with at.ciamation, the members realising th<? valuable information gathered, and the pleasant evening spent.