Bambles in the Peninsula.

Otago Witness, Issue 1584, 1 April 1882, Page 7

Bambles in the Peninsula.

From tho earliest days of the settlement the Peninsula District has been famous for its agricultural produce. Being at one period densely covered with bush, the decidence of 'the foliage, and its excellent climate, contributed to its fertility of soil. ' For a number of years' the sturdy arms of settlers have effected large clearances, and considerable areas have been stumped, so that agricultural and dairy farming, is now largely carried on— indeed there are few districts in the colony of the same' area that turn out mdre dairy produce. Consequently, the settlers have bestowed the greatest' attention on the improvement of steadings to carry out successfully this' important'industry.' Of the numerous steadings interspersed throughout' the district, that of 'Mr' A. Matheson, Tomahawk,' is ' the most sbomblete, all the buildings— jdwelling-hquso, out-houses, barn, byre, stable, and dairy— being Substantially constructed of'htone. 1 The byre especially is one of the most commodious' and convenient. ' Provided as it is with the most 'recent improvements, it has few equals in the colony." '' ilt is'" capable' of ' accommoddting seventy' head of cattle in cleanliness and comfort, and so constructed that not a particle of food supplied to the cattle is lost. On entering the building we see stalls^ ' capable of holding two head of cattle, secured by iron chains to the ' supports, the stall having a small barrier in front of the cattle, the space between which and the walls being the maugei;. Inside of the farrier there are wooden boxes fixed in front of each, for holding the supply of boiled food. The byre contains a loft capable of holding a large quantity of hay, with openings so that a man provided with a hayfork can, within ton minutes^ throw down the supply of food for the night. Separate from the byre there is the boiler-room, from which, by means of a tramway, steamed food is readily supplied to the cattle. When milking time arrives, the cattle liberated from the paddock enter by a large door, and are so trained that each knows her own proper place— if not, she is reminded of the, circumstance by the dairy-maid, who cries out, ' Come along, Susan;' ' bail up, Mary Ann;' 'Julia, you are in the wrong place;' &c. Whethor from bovine perverseness or f orgetfulness, Julia sought the luxury of another stall, but a hearty stroke on tho ribs convinced her of her mistake. At one end of tho byro tlie cans for the milk, scrupulously clean, are placed, and when full conveyed to the dairy and placed in a cooler supplied by a perpeiwal stream of water, to prevent cream, accumulating during the night. It is, conveyed with the morning's supply inj;Q the city. A proportionate quantity of. the milk is set for conversion into butter, Immediately the cattle are unbailetji the dung-truck goes along the tramway-, and all the stalls are made tidy and clean, The liquid manure is conveyed in condw^s into a large brick tank, and at stated times deposited on the fields. In connection with this excellent steading there are other features worthy of attention. From, the byre loft there is a means of ooin.m.u.nication *° the chaffcutting department. Horse-power is used here. When the necessary supply is cut the bags are filled and let down into the storeroom, through an aperture. The apartments for the men-servants aro comfortably furnished, and there arecomnaodioussfeables, harness room, &c., and sheds for carts, ploughs, and other implements avo abundant. Water, which is a most necessary adjunct to ovcry dairy-fawn, is abundant, being collected at convenient distances all around the buildings). Altogether the steading is well worthy of a visit, and dairy-farmers contemplating building new promises, would discover improvements well worthy i their attention.

BUTTER MANUFACTURE.

As might be expected from the advantages enjoyed by this district, tho butter and cheese turned out are, as a rule, of superior quality, and these articles generally realise the highest price in the market. The dairies are mostly built of stcine, whitewashed, and thoroughly ventilated by windows covered with wirenetting, and which also exclude insects. One of those I visited— Mr Ferguson's, Sandymount —was a perfect picture in that respect. Prominent among the number who have gained first and second prizes for butter at the .For* bury and Peninsula Shows is Mrs Beattie, HighoUff, wh,o exhibit Wsb pardonable pride

some at least of her trophies, .wlnch*h*ve included from timo to tinio a lady's casy'-chair, a beautiful marble slab, a .superior walnut writ-ing-des!,', gold ring, silver butter-cooler, .silver cruet-stand, table lamp, two faille umbrellas, brides-cake, chest of tea, box; of caiidled, and money. Another lady— Mrs Irving, Northeast Harbour— has been awarded for buttor and cheese a silver-plated cruot-/-Und and money x'or first and second prizsH. Mw; M'Kay, SMidymount, has carried the palm for a number ot years for sail and powdered buttev, and roceiviid as prizes tho following useful household commodities ;— A chest of tofi, a -churn,, box of candles, besides a pair ot vases and money. With becoming modesty these worthy matrons^ do not arrogate to themselves any superiority of skill over their neighbours}'attributing thuir success to nutritious 1 food,"abuudance of pure spring water, and rogulafrfty in. milking. No doubt there are other osWtial points in butter-making, such as'atteiiti6n to tho cleansing of tho cowu' udders and teats bafovo milking, oxtremo cleanliness •of the milker, scalding the milk rlishcjs, depositingtho cream in oaken tubs, frequent churning, &c. • > CHEESE MANOTAOTURE. ' As an instance of what can be^ccomplished in this district in the production of cliecuy, tho factory recently closed for tho season yi^ give some idea. Eleven settlers formed a coin puny, built a small factory, providing it ■yri.fh tho most approved apparatus for tho man.ifa<jU.U'o. During tho last five months, uuder j tKe'&i.iperintondenco of Mr and Mis Farquhar,/^' turned out, v/ith only ball" the supply of pillL that! could bo given by the Company, ftom'.tpn to eleyon tons of chceso of most excellent quality. This chceao should have realised ha'hd'sbjuely, but for want of a proper market it,was,sacrificed at 5d per lb. It is stated that a similar quality of cheeso manufactured in' the district was recently sold under an English brand at Is 4d per lb. Of the private factories, Mr George M'Cartney, Mr Young, and somo others are carrying on successfully.'*'. The former manufactures with a double-acting press, made by Young, of Ayr,, costing'^bout 610. Tho other choose implements are, iv curdmill, cutter, a largo milk tub and vat« mado of kauri and oak. The drying-room for the onoese in large and well -ventilated, containing 'cheeses from 30lb to 501b woiglit and of tho very best quality, Mrs Bryoe, Sandymount, isj also< noted for tho manufacture of an excellent quality of cheese. ■ ', ' GAHDKNS AND ORCHARDS. '. A In consequonco of the' fertility' 6( f soil, shelter, and genial climate, horticultifriU produce, such as potatoes, onions, cabbagb,Meek, carrots, turnips, &c, grow abundantly,' and some attain an enormous Bize. Orchards are prolific in apples, pears, peaches, pluta's, aud berriaa of all kinds. The only ' drawback to the prosperity of the settlers "hitherto has been that there has been''tlo demand, and consequently, year by ye'dr," they have become more indifferent to Cultivating fruit and vegetables in large quantities. J The establishment of jam factories will in'*'measure remove this grievance, and no doubt 1 more attention will be paid to the orchards tho future than has been the case iri 'tho' "past. Hops and flax have also been tried, 1 a&d^grew admirably. From tho quantities ''of l fruit; raised many have adopted the manufacture of wine in preference to selling. These'wines are most delicious. That made from'bkdfe currants and kept in bottles for a number of 1 years is little inferior to tho best ' port in ! taste and flavour; but being of Colonial 'EnW&flictura there is no demand, and is "only used -W-horns consumption, That made by Mrs' Morris and Mrs Popifani is most superioiv'»»d' iti'isa pity the industry'should not' be encouraged s . '*>( DANDELION COI'FEE. '„,„

The root of the dandelion is taken Up at a certain season, carefully cleaned, then- ground and dried. For taste and flavour jnany, prefer it to tho imported article ; and. certainly,; if all the samples are;equal to those tostedijbjyjjne, it ought to , bo* extensively used.- ;M^, 'Leslie carries out this industry on an. exiensjiyei scale, and finds a ready, market /for all jhe produces. .(,, , t<,. >

. Otaoqman.