THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19567, 21 February 1927, Page 9

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

TE AWAMUTU PASTURES. EXCELLENT BUTTER SUPPLIES. RISKS OF TURNIP-FEEDING. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] TE AWAMUTU. Saturday. Most dairy farmers iu the Te Awamutu district are well satisfied with their butterfat production for January. Beneficial rains have had a good effect upon the supply, and the cheques put into circulation to-day will not las far behind these of last month. One local company states that its output for January was only four tons behind that of December. Factory managers report that the quality of cream has been well maintained during the month. Indeed, it is remarkable that so high a quality of butter can be produced during the recent spells of extreme heat. Possibly dairy farmers arn becoming wise to the necessity of cooling their cream as it leaves the separator, and providing proper shade at the farm gate while the cream is awaiting the arrival of the lorry. These are the two chief factors which bring about a lower grade during the summer months In connection with the quality of butter produced locally, the Te Awamutu Cooperative Dairy Co., Ltd., reports a very fine record for the past month. With an output of 60 tons, it scored 99 per centfinest butter at the Government grade stores. Considering that a fair proportion of the cream is drawn from low-lying country with luxuriant growth, which is apt to impart flavours to the cream, this is a record of which the company may well be proud. Local cream graders report this week that they are beginning to detect that bugbear of all dairy factory managersturnip flavour. There is no flavour on which the Government graders at Auckland are more severe, and the slightest taint of turnips in the butter brings it down at once to second grade. Lucerne, millet and other supplementary crops are often recommended as a substitute for turnips, which, however, will take a great deal of ousting because they are so easily grown and require so little attention. 1 The weather conditions during the past few months have not been altogether favourable to turnip growing, and the crops do not appear to be so heavy this year. Turnips, however, are like another commodity often quoted—"A little leaven leaveneth. the whole lump." In other words, one can of turnip-flavoured cream will affect the whole vat. How to Teed Turnips. The expert said ho was not prepared to go to the extreme lengths advocated by some factory managers, who were of opinion that turnip-feeding should be prohibited absolutely. If this drastic course were adopted, he considered that it would be tantamount, in some districts, to telling dairy farmers they should dry off their cows in March. Turnips, if fed with care and in moderation, need not taint the -milk to any appreciable extent, but the great menace was a careless farmer who turned his cows into the turnip paddock. This should not be done on any account, he said. The turnips should be pulled and allowed to wilt for at least 24 hours, when they should be fed in moderation to the herd. Some farmers, it was remarked, preferred to feed them after the night milking only, but others divided the ration into two small portions, giving a little after each milking. The great essential, in his opinion, is that there should bo ample feed of .other descriptions to go with the turnips, "so that the cows would have a properly balanced ration. Fortunately, there has been abundant feed in this district, and will be for some time, so that it would appear that, if farmers will exercise every care, the local factories will still continue to put up a good record for butter-making. "I want to he scrupulously fair to my suppliers," said a local factory • manager with whom the question was discussed "I do not obiect to turnip feeding, bo long as it is done judiciously. I have suppliers who have been feeding turnips for some weeks, and, although I consider I am as keen in the palate as most managers, T find it almost impossible to detect the flavour. Certainly it has not affected mv butter-grading, which is the thing that counts. Advance Payments. The advance payments made to suppliers to-day do not show the same .disparity as last month, when there was a good deal of heartburning locally. There has been no alteration for some months in the amount drawn by dairy companies from the Control Board against shipments, namely, Is 2d for finest butter, and 1/5 Hd for first, grade. The New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company. Ltd., has naid out Is 2d ppr lb. for finest cream for bnttermaking: Waikato Valley Dairy Co., Ltd., Is 2d: and Te Awamutu Co-opera-tive Dairy Co., Ltd., Is 2jd. ! A SUCCESSFUL COMPANY. OPERATIONS 'AT MORE IN STILL E. ; [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN COr.EESPON'DENT. j < MOKRINSVTLLE, Saturday. Although the MomsgvUle Co-operative < Dairy Company has been established ! less than four years, it has more than justified the hopes of its promoters. Two 'years after its opening extensions-,to the building and additions to the plant were ' found necessary to cope with the everincreasing supplies. Now, two years later, it is found further extensions are necessary •to deal economically with the ■ supplies offerings The factory was erected four years ago to cope wi.th.3S) tons of butter in a season. This season it * will manufacture approximately 750 ! tens, and with the favourable riuttsmri it is possible that the output will top the 800 tons mark. The present building j covers an area of 80it x 48ft., while the new one will be 80ft. x Tift.. with an entirely new arrangement of plant and an addition to the cream stage at front, j providing for the extra large number of cans now being handled. i j PUKEKOHE MARKET REPORT, i j [BY TELEGBJII'H.—OW>* CORRESPONDENT. ] ' PCKEEOHE. Saturday. j i fhe Franklin fsnaers' . A-gctsweenajf . I Company Limited. Pukekofce. report .. ' At the weekly eai® at our mart yesterday J «•» cad .goon' entries in most, Lin.es. Pif* \ I came forward in good number#, bat sellers" \ , | aod buyers' values differed omstdtrad;?, 1 ' ir.akisf{ bii'Sioess taxdj Wmtri s-old *" j s I from 9» to IS* €4. asd alio at Ids to 22s ! , 16d. Is poultry there were good eutne* asd j * j prices shewed an advance ca la*f w«ek*s f.. I rate*, light hsaa toBS-iss Is M to 2a M I | ee&ner t-eu» 2* M to 3s fid: youns drakes. \ | is Sd to.2k aad duck*. $* feh Vts*taW*» f , ! were ja fair sauply. Cabbages sold at 5a I ' j i iacfc sad Is to is ?ki » dozen k®s«, let s 5 <: teee. is a dosea. cactmtbers. €d to Is * j I ioitz pumpkin*. «oft. about 4* 6j per «■•**>, 1 f ! :ora3.tc«f 3e 4d *0 Sa s tm«-. ostssts., 6» ?4 1 | a. cealal b'*?- srenw ©esa.'M per 1&; Pr.es eh ] ' 1 swacs, 21d per lb., heat, i» 2d a doaets < } beadlea: par*ajp= Is id * down | uaadiea. itatibarb erought 5* a doaca i i bundles. Fra.it was sieatifsil «o!d » j itetly Is ajjpiee Sobi« {(oyaia »o';d at -a • I s© te' a- e»ae: .to |-G» I; PnnßSiai. Ss 6i to «a M: WiJ!»« Sharps, ; to %i arsd Pipp-'.Es, ti §d to 5a ®d Pear# ' > realised to to !»• a Isbjob*, 1* Sd pw t i detenu oraJMftt. 2s 6d per doteai tad 1 ; mm p»3sai. Sid to 3d per Sb. ]