THE BUTTER INDUSTRY AT AUCKLAND,

Otago Witness, Issue 1894, 9 March 1888, Page 8

THE BUTTER INDUSTRY AT AUCKLAND,

The New Zealand Frozen Meat and Storage

Conipaany'a. Spirited and Extensive Ven-ture-Oream by the Ton-Tho Largest Butter Factory in the Southern Hemisphere— Tho Shell Brand.

Few things afford, more interest to the ordinary citizen than does a visit to a dairy. The knowledge that pastoral life with its beauty and health fulness is somehow centred hero— the suggestions which it gives of fields oi! fragrant herbs, roamed over by cattle in well-fed and lazy contentment, carry with them a holiday feeling, which makes most city-bred folk instinctively desire a life amid such scenes. And then comes the mystery of the affair — the wonder that such apparently inadequate means should result in the production of an article so different from that from which it is produced. It was with this feeling of interest that our reporter accepted an invitation to visit the new dairy which has been established at the Freezing Company's works, railway wharf. It is true that the herds from which the milk is taken arc a hundred miles away, but one eoou becomes aware that under the system adopted they are as available as if they were depastured on the reclamation just outside the building. Being dissatisfied with the old system of dairying, the Freezing Company decided to themselves undertake the careful and cleanly extraction of cream from milk, and to become responsible for the manufacture of the butter in which they will in future deal. Five creameries now working in connection with the central dairy in Auckland have boun established at, Pukekohe, 'JV-.kau, X.uaruawalria, Hamilton, and Pateranjji respectively. To these the newly obtained milk is taken, B many cases within an hour of the time

when it was milked. By means of a number of Laval separators the cream is at once extracted and falls into cans supplied for the purpose of collecting it, and the sweet skim milk is conveyed by a system of pipes to the outside of the building, where it is again caught in the milk supplier's can, and is carried back to the farm to feed calves and pigs. When in full work this redelivery takes place as speedily as the milk is received. At one of, the creameries, for instance, centrifugal separators are equal to dealing with over 500 gal per hour. The other creameries are fitted up with proportionate appliances so as to enable the work of separating to be done expeditiously. It will be seen at a glance the immense advantage which this system of extracting cream has over the old method of setting, the milk in shallow pans where it is exposed to all the surrounding impurities, and where often during hot weather it reaches a semi-putrid condition before the cream is skimmed off.

To those people whose ideas of milk are restricted to the small quantity which is mysteriously left in their jugs some time during the early morning, the immense vats full of fluid to be seen every day at the creamers is a revelation and a wonder to them where it all comes from. The one creamery already indicated alone receives over 2000 gal daily, or say in weight 10 tons. An estimate of the size and importance of this industry may be formed when it is known that no less a number than 2500 cows are in constant milk for the purpose of supplying them. All these cows are the property of the settlers in the various neighbourhoods. The company only find an outlet for the produce of these settlers, and in no way enter into competition with them. The price paid per gallon for milk is 2£d, the sweet skim milk being returned free. The importance of the return of milk for stockraising purposes may be seen in the large number of healthy calves which surround settlers' holdings, and which will in time come on to increase the dairy or to supply beef for the market. The cream alone is sent to Auckland. This is done daily in strong cans of special construction, which are capable of containing IGOlb each. In this manner the dairy in Auckland receives fromthecompany'soutlyingcreameries6oogal of cream, or about three tons weight daily. When received at the works the cream is at once placed in the department's chillling room. The enormous expense involved in producing butter on the lines adopted by the company may be guessed at when it is known that it was found necessary to erect a separate refrigerator for the sole use of this one department so that the air supplied to it might be of the utmost purity. The cream held in this manner being reduced to a temperature of about 53deg Farenheit, so as to allow for the influence of the atmospheric temperature while it is being churned, is then removed by the lift to the dairy on the first floor. This place was selected on account of its being removed from the influence of dust and dirt, and also because of its sheltered position. It is a large space, floored and channelled like the deck of a vessel, and with its walls and ceiling of snowy whiteness and its moist sweet floor is the perfection of cleanliness. Here are ereected receptacles for cream, an immense wooden vat for the preparation of iced brine, and the steam vats for the production of boiling water. This place is also fitted throughout with stream and water pipes , so that steam coils for scalding out vessels and jets of cold water are available everywhere. Down the centre of the room four large Danish churns are placed, each capable of turning out 1801b of butter at a churning, the line being extended by a large rotating table. The churns and butterworker are set in motion by steam power, the speed having been adjusted with great nicety. It appears to be needful to have the capacity of the vessel, the temperature of its contents, and velocity of its revolutions all exactly balanced to produce the best; results. The cream, unt'l converted into butter, is entrusted to the caro of an experienced Danish dairyman and three assistants, and the operations of the establishment move as by clockwork.

As soon as the cream has been churned, until the butter granules have been formed, the churns are immediately thrown out of gear, as an unnecessary revolution of the beaters would destroy the character of the butter. The buttermilk is then run off, and the iced brine beforementioned is added to it. This hardens the granules of butter, and assists in the removal of any remaining buttermilk, so that when the butter is removed, by means of a hair sieve, to a cloth-covered draining tray it has the beautiful appearance of hoar frost with a golden sheen over it. The icing process appears to be a necessary but expensive portion of the work, a day's make of butter after the manner described consuming no less a quantity than from Bcwt to lOcwt of ice. This in addition to the cost of working the already mentioned refrigerator, making a current expense of formidable proportions. From the draining tray the butter is removed to the rotary worker, where any remaining moisture is expressed, and a proper proportion of line white table salt is added. After again standing in [the trays until the salt particles are dissolved, the butter is again subjected to a slight kneading process, which thoroughly amalgamates it, and the making is completed, the result being, in our opinion, perfection in butter.

From the dairy the butter, descending by means of the lift, is taken to what is known at the "butter room." This is a light, spacious apartment, decked with sloping floor for drainage purposes and surrounded by wide tables or trays, upon which the butter is placed. This room is occupied by a dozen young women who convert the butter from its lump form to the well-known, and destined to be still better known " Shell " brand pat of the company. The patted butter is arranged in two dozens upon light trays, and is covered with butter cloth to prevent any possible dust from affecting it. It is next carried to the chilling-room, mentioned at the beginning of this article, and is placed in racks for exposure to the sweet cold air of the chamber, when it soon sets firm. At present the daily output of butter is about 20001b, which is in nil probability the largest quantity made by anyone dairy south of the equator. One ton per day is by no moans the limit of the company's ability to manufacture. Indeed a remunerative market is alone

needed to enable them to handle treble or quadruple that amount. On leaving the cbilling-room we were shown the butter tinning plant which has been imported by the company. This plant has not yet been set in motion, but now that butter is being manufactured by themselves of the quality they require for tinning, canning will be at once commenced, and the company's butter in tins will be held in stock as an article of regular trade. During the last three months no less a quantity than 53 tons of butter has been sent to the English market by this company, and returns are now being looked for.

It is much to be hoped that they will prove as satisfactory as the merits of the case deserve. It is not now thought advisable to continue to make shipments, as butter shipped at this time would not reach England until the English spring time, which would be too late for the market. Arrangements will, however, be made to have everything in readiness for next year, which will probably involve the further expense of sending someone Home to take charge of consignments. This further illustrates the necessity which there is for this work to be undertaken by companies such as this one. Indeed, we are of opinion that the system described in this article, and this system alone, will enable New Zealand butter to find its way in the export markets. The impetus which this industry will give to dairying wherever its operations are felt will be enormous. The company's systematic dealing, its special plant and appliances, and its situation at the wharf as a distributing centre for export, all point out its present and prospective importance. Already rcproprcsentations have been made for the extension of the cieamery system to Papakura, Waiuku, Wairoa South and Pokeno, and many other places are anxiously looking for their time to come. Too much credit cannot well bo given for the enterprise shown, especially when the very large sums of money embarked in the business and the proportionately large regular outlay in current expenses is considered.

We look forward to the time when the Freezing Company's "Shell " brand of butter will be as widely and favourably known by merchants throughout the world as tho most celebrated brards are. — Auckland Evening Bell.