DAIRYING INDUSTRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 130, 3 May 1941, Page 4

DAIRYING INDUSTRY

PRODUCTION AT RONGOTEA. For the month of April the make of butter at (he Rongotea, dairy factory was 68 tons, and the output for the year will now be in advance of 1000 tons. The manager (Mr W. J. Read) stales that there is a considerable difference in the body of butter this autumn compared with what lias been obtained in other years. Since January 21, when dry conditions were ended by a copious rainfall, there has been a succession of periods of very mild weather, occasional rain anil an almost continuous spring-like growth in the grass. On account, of this the manufacture of butter has demanded more skill in handling, prolonging the necessity for extreme care, and control of temperatures throughout the season. Rongotea dairymen are still facing up to (he situation despite the successive transfers of suppliers to cheese production, and the company's lorries are delivering milk to factories at a price mutually agreed upon. Some anxiety is expressed at the delay of the authorities in coining to a decision regarding requirements for the new season. It is hoped that a lead will soon be given for the next season as to the production of cheese or butter, because it is time that all indent orders were sent forward, and also to enable the slack months. May, June and July, to be utilised to the best advantage in overhauling plants and other necessary work.— Rongotea correspondent.

Two Crops In One Year. The ordinary farmer harvests one crop of wheat a year, but the Wheat Research Institute, at its new plant breeding station at Lincoln College, harvests two. This is achieved by means of a large greenhouse, where small lines of the wheat crosses with which the institute is experimenting, are grown in the winter. Visitors who inspected the station were shown wheat, sown/ on March 24, which will be harvested in July or August, so that it will be possih'e to sow the resultant seed in the open for next season. The "speeding up" process is used only in the first stages of wheat I breeding, which is continued over a long period of years, but it is expected to reduce the time required from 10 vcars to eight.