New South Wales Farmers in Manawatu

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 258, 30 October 1937, Page 9

New South Wales Farmers in Manawatu

LEARNING ABOUT NEW ZEALAND DAIRYING The party of New South Wales farmers which is on a short tour of the North Island spent yesterday learning something of the work of the Dairy Research Institute, Plant Research Station and Massey College. In extending a welcome to the party, Professor W. Kiddet, Director of the Dairy Research Institute, explained the various courses offered at Massey College, and touched on the research work which is carried on by the college concerning wool, flax and the manuring of pastures. Tho Dairy Research Institute derived more than half of its, funds from the dairy industry itself, the remainder being a Government grant. The speaker explained that the money from the dairy industry came through the Dairy Board, and he outlined the main avenues of research on butter, cheese, the production of iinest-grade milk, and feed flavours in milk and cream. In conclusion, Professor Kiddet referred to the fact that the agrostology branch of tho Plaut Research Bureau was situated at Palmerston North and it was here that the especially selected clovers and ryes were bred; the \*arious strains sent to other parts of the Dominion emanating from the plots at Palmerston North. What Avas being done in regard to the study of the hairiness in wool Avith the application of the benzol test was touched upon by Mr R. Waters. He said New Zealand had tho prospects of producing the purest crossbred wool in the world. Parties were sent out to take samples from the sheep in various stud flocks and so far about 30,000 stud sheep had been tested. A charge of Is a head for ewes and 3s a head for rams was made. About 66 per cent, of the ewes came into the top three grades and the test, when applied to the avoo! of the progeny of a ram, showed what style of wool the ram was leaving, and it was surprising how quickly the wool on a flock could be improved. Small testing sets were sold to farmers, and by testing wool from certain parts of prospective purchases they were able to ascertain whether the rams' wool included any appreciable amount of hair. Mr Waters explained hoAV a photo-electric cell was used to indicate, when the wool was in a benzol bath, how much hair Avas showing white amongst the invisible wool. That electrical apparatus was tho only one in use in the world, he thought. Dr W. J. Wylie, a member of the Australian Scientific and Industrial Research Department, was tho next speaker, dealing Avith a number of problems met with in New Zealand dairying. Dr Wylie, who is Avorking with the officers of the New Zealand Dairy Research Institute for a period, explained that Ncav Zealand could, if it was wished, make butter liko the Danish butter, which had a strong flavour, but it Avould be sold only as “imitation Danish." There was a definite market for the lighter-flavoured Noav Zealand butter. The speaker dealt with the flavours in butter, explaining the actions of starters, and from x that briefly referred to feed flavours and the methods adopted in attempting to overcome these troubles. Butterfat losses, metal taint, wo«ds (and dressings for them) which could be used as substitutt for white piue, were also referred to by the speaker. Tho visitors were especially interested in the use of parchfoil as a lining for butter boxes to excludo taint and molds. Under the guidance of Dr F. 11. McDowall, tho party inspected various laboratories and they were to see also typical rooms in the college. Dr McDowall spoke on the improvement in the quality of New Zealand cheese and the increased demand for the highest quality which had developed in the last 30 years. The speaker proceeded to deal with a number of the problems facing the industry, and later sonducted the visitors over the buttermaking and cheese-making sections of the dairy factory. At tho Plant Research Station plots,

tho visitors Avere met by Messrs P. A. Madden and L. W. Gorman. Mr Madden explained general practice in regard to top-dressing and touched on rotational grazing, hill country management and other features of New Zealand pasture farming. Various plots of clovers and rye-grass were inspected, tho relative productivity of the various strains being explained. Later, the party visited the plots off Fitzherbert avenue, which Mr Madden explained were held under a lease from the city council. The Plant Research Bureau had not a block of land which could be used for all the experiments and the laying down of permanent pastures. The land leased from the city council was held only on a 90-day lease, w r itk a light of renewal. For some time the wish had been expressed that the department had a 50acre block, which would give the plots an absolutely certain tenure. So far, however, there had not been the funds available for the fulfilment of that desire.