JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1156, 27 April 1894, Page 7

JOTTINGS.

Tho making of the big cheese for the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society's winter show was successfully carried out on Saturday afternoon at the Wyndham Dairy Factory in the presence of about 40 ladies and gentlemen. The Mataura states that Mr John Sawers, (dairy instructor) was present and assisted his brother (the manager) iti the process. The hoop used for tho purpose of building the cheese measures 3ft in diameter by 2ft Gin in depth. At 3.20, everything being in readiness, the money, consisting of 10 half-sovereigns, 30 two shilling pieces, 25 one shilling pieces, and 30 sixpenny pieces were taken charge of by Mr Cushnie (chaiiman), Mr McLaren (director), and the recretary, and as the curd was placed in the hoop the various coins were distributed evenly throughout. The ladies were greatly interested in the work, and some 15s extra, bearing distinctive marks, were placed in the cheese by them, and many wishes they expressed for good luck to the undertaking. A certificate was given by those present to the eflect that tho amount of coins mentioned were placed in the cheese. Mr Cushnie in the course of a few remarks said the shareholders and directors of the company should feel pleased that their manager bad been selected to carry out the undertaking. Their factory had the record for making the largest cheese in New Zealand for the Dunedin Exhibition—3001b—and now the record was exceeded, the cheese now made weighing about 11001 b, and tho honour again rested with Wyndham.

Is there such a thing as educating cows to be rapid milkers 1 And can all cows be oducated thus? When a boy, the writer worked on a dairy farm, the proprietor of which had the reputation of being a rapid milker. He broke in a number of heifers each year, and always milkeJ these himself. His claim was that it was this early training largely that made the difference in the time required for milking. His method was simply to begin milking as soon as seated, and continue rapidly and uninterruptedly until all the milk was drawn from the udder, and to do no stripping. The last part of the milk was sometimes drawn by pressing from the upper part of the udder downward, upon first one side of the udder and then the other with one hand, drawing the milk from the corresponding teats with tho other. With some cows not even this was necessary. He claimed that tho habit of giving down milk rapidly and completely with no retention of the stripping?,, was easily formed with heifers if they were always milked thus. That if tho milker dawdled over his work, the cows would get in the habit of giving down their milk in the same manner. His cows certainly supported his claim, and little stripping was necessary in his heard. Occasionally a cow was found which was a hard milker, and a teat slitter was usually employed to render the operation of milking easier. Isn't this part of the subject—the proper training of tho heifers—worthy cf more attention than it generally receives ? American paper.

It is tho intention of the Government of Victoria to appoint a dairy expert to reside in England and advise the colony on all matters connected with butter, cheese, and other products.

Mr H. Olsen, the Laval Company's travelling representative in Australia, says the Sydney Mail, received by the steamship Australia, from Europa, samples of sterilised milk and oream, which, although forwarded as ordinary cargo, arrived in perfectly

sound condition. The sterilising was done uuder a new process, the patent rights of which are under offer to the Laval Company, and the special merit claimed for the invention is that it will enable cream to be carried rcrj great distances without cooling appliances, and will land it at its destination as sweet as when it left the creamery. A plant to treat 500 gallons may be supplied at a cost of .£4O. With the object of testing this new aid to the dairy the Laval Company will seni to Australia large quantities of sterilised cream and have butter made from it in Sydney. The sample bottles, which came by the Australia, were opened and the contents tasted last week by Mr Campbell, of the Department of Agriculture, and a representative of this journal. The cream, although it had a alight flavour from heating, which we believe was not more than 170*, was declared to be fit for the churn and likely to give butter of excellent quality. Christchurch, April 23. The Minister for Land 3 statod, in tho course of an interviow with Mr W. W. Collins, M.H.R., this morning, that it was his intention to establish in the interests of tho small farmors at tho Cheviot a dairy factory to bo conducted on co-operative principles.