BUTTERMAKING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9263, 17 January 1889, Page 3

BUTTERMAKING.

The other day Mr. William Brown, Profe3w sor of Agriculture at the Agricultural College, Ontario, Canada, who is now on a visib to the colonies, gave the following information relating to butter making in Canada ta the Victorian Royal Commission on Vegetable Products. Professor Brown explained that he was himself one of the founders of the butter factories (which had since spread over the Whole of the United States as well) and .manager of the dairy nt the Ontario College, from which upwards of 60,0001b were* sent in the year. From what he had seen, the various operations for obtaining butter'by mechanical means were being well taught by the Government of Victoria! but the trouble appeared to be to get the farmers to 'cooperate. Of course, with regard to factories, there was a, great objection to the fanners being compelled, if they wanted it, to carry the skim milk back again from the factory to the farm. No factory, also, would pay very well unless there were from 400 to 500 cows supplying it. Farmers might co-operate, too, in so far that one could arrange to take the milk from a certain number of farms to the factory, or they might purchase a separator amongst them. The greatest difficulty, however, was the compelling farmers to go to the factory for the skim-milk. Some factories in Canada had got over this by themselves going to the farms for the fresh milk, and in return taking back the skim-milk. This latter was worth half as much to the ordinary farmer as whole milk. Another grievance with the factories was that, thougn ifc was fully recognised that cows varied to a very great extent in'the cream-producing qualities of their milk, yet the factories' authorities persisted in the system of paying for the milk by weight without respect to ita qualities in the production of oream. This might be easily got over by arranging for payment by result. The paper concluded with the advocacy of the issue of bulletins or pamphlets giving instructionin. dairying, and a recommendation to secure a standard of milch cows for dairying.. In commenting further on this important* matter, Professor Brown expressed himself highly pleased with the system of teaching instituted by the Government ia the Government dairies. In the United States butter factories and creameries were largely increasing in numbers, and in some places were now so close that the farmer had a choice of several. The compulsory cartage had, as he remarked in his paper, been in many cases abolished, and the companies were sending to the farms for the milk, returning the skim in the same way, or they took the cream alone where the farmers used cream separators. In reply to Mr. Knight, Professor Brown said that the system of selling the skim-milk from the factories by contract was not recognised in America. Afc some factories pigs were kept» but this was a pernicious practice, and one to which he strongly objected. Looking at the commercial aspect of the case, he thought if the colonies did not bestir themselves they would have to look for very great opposition from America, especially in tho matter of winter dairying. At the Ontario College no separators were used now, the cream being brought out by assisting nature to a certain degree. The cana used were about 20in deep, by Bin in diameter, and before having the milk deposited in them were slightly warmed to bring them to the temperature of new milk —about 85 degrees. The milk was then put by for a short time in a room of ordinary temperature—say, about 70 degrees. After a time the cans were immersed in cold water, which brought the temperature down to 50 degrees. Ice-water was nexto applied, which finally brought it down to 40 or 35 degrees, tho whole process occupying about eight hours. It had been found by actual test that this gradual cooling of the milk very much improved the quality of the cream, the results being the best. He certainly did not approve of any method which had for its object the instantaneous reduction of the temperature of the milk.