DAIRYING ITEMS. (From the Wyndham Farmer.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2410, 10 May 1900, Page 7

DAIRYING ITEMS. (From the Wyndham Farmer.)

Mr J.'ine, Alhn, proprietor of Thistle Bank Ddiry. \Yynd!»!im, repents a heavy season's work. Evpii now,- in the back end of the season, lie is leremng upwards of 300 gallons of milk 'Ifuh The " 'J'hi-tle " brand of butter is evidently holding its own.

It ib the sauic &toiy at the pioneer factory — Edendale — whore the veteran raaiiager, Mr

Thomas Scoul-ir, the other day manipulate:! 1800 gallons: his flush receipt" v/os 2300 gallons, from 29 suppliers, and everyone of the 29 contributed to the 1800 gallons. "How do I account for so lemarkable a supply for this time of the year? " Mr Scoular replied to a Farmer ieporter. "Two thing! do it. Firstly, the grass to-day is as green as it was in spring ; in fact, I never saw such a year as this in all my experience. Seconly, ninepence a pound for butter-fat, which Edendale is paying its suppliers, is a good incentive for patrons to keep up the condition of their cows."

The resignation of Mr J. A. Ruddick of the office of Chief Dairy Expert for this colony has come as a surprise to the cognoscenti. It tranf'piers that the Dominion Go vernment angled successhilly for a renewal of Mr Ruddick's services, by offering him a tempting salary, so he wsll hark back to his Canuck heath as soon as quick transit will land him there on the expiration of 'his New Zealand engagement in June next. The present juncture is opportune for voicing the opinion that this colony has given a very fair trial to imported driry experts. They undoubtedly were all highly capablemen in their way, but the woist of it i a that they have all given us the go-by so soon as a "fatter" billet was dangled before them. That, of course, was only natural: but one is constrained to ask of our Agricultural department, Is the gane worth the candle? We do not think it is. Moreover, are not equally good men, in every way, at this very moment available within the colony? We believe there are, and therefore trust to see one of these tried and proof specialists offered the appointment about to become vacant owing to Mr Ruddick's retirement.

It will very soon be fie time for the annual winier show at Dunedin. Manager Cunningham, is getting hi? butter entries ready, determined thai no one shall wrest from him the handsome shield he won for Wyndham Factory last year without a keen struggle for supremacy.. But it 'is in the cheese section that this district particularly expects to make its presence fell. We hope to see Edendale, Diand, G-lenham, Matatira, Toi^-Tois, Tokomii. Otaia_. Heathfield, etc., all enter the lisla, engage! in friendly encounter. A very' fine 24-bottle milk tester, of the "Facile" pattern, has been added to Edendale Factory's plant this year. It is quite up to date, only being patented in September, * 1898. Manager Scoular is thoroughly satiri fled with its work.

At Edendale, "too, an effort put forth to secure thoroughly pure water, without a &Uhpicion of deleterious admixture, hss been crowned with complete suece<=-\ The pumping engine was set on top of the old well, thus making it quite possible for oil, dirt, and other sediment to get into the water. The new well, which is 40ft deep, with a diameter of 3tt 6in, is encased in brick ; at a depth of 20ft a small direct-action engine set on a. concrete floor is placed for driving the water, the power behig conveyed through steam pipes from the main factory boiler. No impurities can get into the water, which now reaches the vats and churns in a beautifully sweet and clear condition.

We have seen the vat^ made by Messrs 11. and J. Chisholm, Fortrose, to the order of Tois Tois Dairy Factory. They are of excellent material and workmanship, and a credit to the makers.

The overtures that were in progress between the Mokoreta settlers "and a Gore gentleman for the latter to erpct and equip a dairy fac tory in Wyndham Valley appear to have fallen through. Now the settlers are negotiating with Mr W. H. Lambert, proprietor of the late Redan Cheese Factory, to step into the breach. Mr Lambert, like Barkis, is "willin'," provided the terms suit him.. Of courts, a stipulated guarantee is included in thp term?. Mr Lambert, as past experience in various business departments has proved, is a fair man to deal with, and wa trust to hear of some definite conclusion being shortly ar rived at, so that a factory may be erected in time for operations next spring.