DAIRYING

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1636, 8 July 1903, Page 62

DAIRYING

DAIRYING INDUSTRV, PALMERSTON NORTH AN ENTEEFBISING EIBJL (From Our Correspondent.) One of the many firms in and around Palmerston North who have made rapid strides with the extension of the d_iry industry is that of Messrs Holben and Kirk, who have now - one of the largest factories in the Wellington province for the manufacture of dairying machinery and utensils Chatting to our representative a few days ago. Mr Holiben. the senior oartnef, gave some very interesting particulars reirairding the progress of the dairy industry in the Manawatu and adjoining districts, and also the various changes which are being brought about by this extension. Speaking first upon this latter phase of the subject. Mr Holben said that the most notable feature in connection with the new methods which were being brought into vogue was the popularity of pasteurisation, and in consequence there was a general disposition on the part of factory directors to instal machinery for the i>urpose of treating both cre«!:n. and milk in this way. Thera was also a strong disposition to use larger freezers, in order to provide for the extension which was going on in all directions. In the erection of ; new factories advantage was largely being taken of the principle of gravitation, which gave an immense saving of labour. Wherever possible the buildings were bemg erected in such a way that the* milk would flow from one end of the factory to the other without being lifted by hand or inacLiner, an enormous saving in plant and wea.r and tear being thus effected. The purity of the water supply was another matter 'which was being more than ever carefully attended to, it being now recognised' that without pure water the grade of butter must suffer, .and to the ultimate credit of the industry this was of far greater importtan c a than the question of gravitation. A change Mr Holben also thinks is oom|> mg over the method of making the much debated tests. Instead of sending the bottles long distances from the country to the central factory there is a growing desire and tendency to have the tests made at the creamery as the opin--IR'a i 'n!il lo ground; that* the contents Of uhie bottles become more »or less clrtirn>* ed in the travelling and a true test cannot be made. Two great economical ideas are. also coming into general practice by both factories and creameries, namely, the ‘'‘super-heater” for water for engines and the heating of water for washing the utensils by means of exhaust steam. In the former the production of steam i s reduced to a minimum of labour and fuel, while for *he latter hot water is obtained in unlimited quantities without the slightest trouble, and at no expense beyond the cost of a tank and the necessary piping. One of the portions of the dairying plant which Mr Holben considers is obsolete is the rotary pump, which he is fully satisfied wil] before long be superseded in all butter and cheese factories by the plunger pumo As illustrating the growth of the industry, Mr Holben mentioned that at the present time his firm alone had work. in hand for the following factories Otaki, Uramikau, Bewa, Mauriceville, Cheltenham, Ma’kuri, Waikanae and PaL kakura. In addition to these the firm is also engaged m erecting a 300-gallon direct expansion vat for the Onewhero factory, in the Cambridge district.