TAKANAKI FARM NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2273, 23 September 1897, Page 14

TAKANAKI FARM NOTES.

(Fbosi Our Own Coerespondent.) September 13. We are hwing tesuliful trettht-r ; indeed it could not be better if. made to Butter order. Feed is coming away or rapidly, consequently ths supply Cheese 1 °f m<lk to tbe factories is increasing fast, and most of them are now arranging for their season's output ; but there eeems lo be a difficulty as to ■whether butter or cheete <rill pay better. At present; prices seem to be about equal, but what the result will be . when the produce arrives Home, s&y, three months hence is the question, and I don't think anyone can answer it. However, mestof the factories that have the dual plant are making butter for the present, »nd the suppliers are using tbe skim milk for p : g- feeding in preference to calf-rearing.

Ihe co-operative factories are now buoy winding up lftsb season's affairs, conThe stquently annual meetings, Factories, reports, and balance sheets

are very mach in evidence. All the factories have done well ; 3£d per gallon on a 3 6 te«t seems to be tbe average — some a Irifle more, some a little les*. ' Cheese bas panned out best. One cheese factory will pay witbin a thade of 4d ; and as all milk in this district is paid for at per lb of butter fat, both For cheese and butter, those h&viDg a high te>t ought to be well satisfied with the season's work.

Canterbury has hitherto supplied the greater part of the hams and bacon Hams and consumed in T&ranaki, but it; Bacon* appears this is to be so no longer, as the settlers seem at last to have awakened to the importance of this by-product of the dairy industry. Several curing factories have been erected, ihe most prominent of which is Mr Drake's, near Nfcw Plj mouth, which last year put through a considerable number of pigs, and is now being enlarged to double its former capacity. It is being fitted with a powerful refrigerator and

all the latest appliances for tha efficient carrying on of the butinees.

Still they como ! Another firm of auctioneers, M< ssrs Stewart and Corrigan,

Mincellj»neous. h*v« cotnmeuced bu*ine«a in

Stratford. This means three stock sales each fortqight— one by each firm on different d&yg. It strikes me it would be to the advantage ■of auctioneers, buyers', and sellers alike if it could be arranged to have ono saleyard ioete^l of three, and all sell on the same day, taking turn about, as is done at Addicgton.

Pntroleuni boring is still going on at Motoruo. It is the intention of the company to go to the s»me depth astho former bare (2000 ft), unless oil is struck sooner. It is to be hoped success will crown their efforts this time.

Them appears to be a volunteer mania in Tacan\ki ju&t now, three new corps having been formed within the last month— one e*ch at Waitara, Stratford, aud Hawera. Tgo two former have been accepted, aud the latter iv all probability will be.

There is no improvement in the prices o? stock, but young cattle are moving a little more readily, and &i the spring advances, though I do no 6 anticipate any great riso in value, there will no doubt be a better drm-»nd for stores ; and unless one or more of the patent thawing processes lu-n out a success I don't see how graziers cau afford to pay much more for stores than they are doing at present.