A NORTH ISLAND TALK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3100, 13 August 1913, Page 16

A NORTH ISLAND TALK.

(From Our Ows Correspondent.) PALMERSTON N„ August 7. Colder weather prevails. Calves are appearing sparsely on the dairy farms, and a few lambs are reported; but, generally speaking, matters bn the land are dead dull. What really is beginning to boom is the annual wave of dairy factory meetings, these arc just bursting out into prominence. The same old questions, viewed in new lights, are being talked, and the orators of the milking-stool are in fine form. THE WORLD’S BIGGEST. I have an idea that the New Zealand Dairy Association at Auckland is the biggest cooperative butter-making concern in the world. During the past season it made over 10,000.0001 b of butter (10,124.8721 b), which is a substantial increase for the year. The gigantic nature of the business may be realised better by marking that the output of three such factories would bo sufficient to supply all the population of New Zealand for the entire year. 'This calculation is based on a consumption, of half a pound of butler per bead per week, counting babies and ail. It seems rather a low estimate, judging by my own butter bill, but is generally accepted* us accurate. More power to the New Zealand Dairy Association! As to the payments made, these were up m the top notes. Counting share money in, the suppliers received an average of 12.17 d per lb at the largest creameries, and slightly loss at the others. This is a great payment. Four or five years ago one looked upon even Is as an unattainable goal. The butter was sold in London and Canada at a premium over top prices, and it keeps a big hold on the northern local markets. This association, I believe, is endeavouring to resist the allurements of the combined churn and butter worker, on the plea that it crushes the butter-fat particles, and thus destroys the flavour, making a difference as marked as that between the flavoum of loaf sugar and castor sugar. If this explains the lardy texture and the 'unappetising dullness of much Now Zealand factory butter to-day, it is worth while somebody inventing a butterworker which doesn’t break butter-fat globules. STRIFE OVER HOME SEPARATION. The home separation system is sweeping onwards like an avalanche, and with it comes strife among rival factions. Up in the Auckland district, where the system is pretty strong, a Mr Goodfollow (connected with a factory there) recently brought the home-separation opponents up bristling with the following words: —

The loss in the creamery system was Recounted for by the inability to get a correct test of the night’s milk, and in this way they had experimented and found there was a loss of £1 per cow per season. Mr Pacey, general manager of the big New Zealand Dairy Association, came up at tliis during opponent full tilt at a meeting at Pukekoho, where he produced from the Dairy Commissioner (Mr Cuddie) the following written reply : I am in receipt of your letter of the 17th inst., aud note the statements made by Mr Goodfellow in regard to the home-

separation system. It may safely be contended that the returns obtained under the 'homo-separation system must bo lower per cow than under the whole milk system. In the first place, a farmer who separates Ins own cream sustains and has to bear the whole loss made in skimming, whereas in the ease of the creamery system, as we understand it, the dairy company has to bear this loss. In the second place, it is well known that it is extremely difficult to accurately sample cream which is several days old." At any rate, there is a greater risk to the farmer in this case than there is in the case of sampling milk for testing. Mr Goodfellow’s statement about the

sampling of the night’s milk is quite inaccurate, as all well-known authorities have proved that it is quite possible to get a correct sample from milk which has been properly cared for on the farm. We have hoard many arguments in favour of home separation, and some of them are quite tenable; but this one regarding the sampling of the night’s milk is, in my opinion, nothing more or less than a fallacy. MILLIONAIRES IN BUTTER.

The Thames Valley Co-operative Dairy Company had 130 shareholders present at its annual meeting. 'l'he year’s turnover was £114,050 This company also count among millionaires, its make of butter for the year reaching just short of 2.000.OOOi!> (1,946.60811)). The test was 3.33, the overrun 17.4. the average sale price of butter 12,28 d, the cost of manufacture I.oßd per Ih, and the price paid to suppliers for butter fat 12.1 d iter lb. The Hauraki Plains have come suddenly upon this company's horizon, having supplied cream to the value of £4611. as against £945 In the preceding year; consequently ,i branch laefory will be built <ii Komi costing £2600. A creamery will be built also fit Hnnga Htinga. The total outnut (870 tni>i-) ws an increase of 120 tons,’or 16 tier c j. The company sold 461 p tons locally, and exported tons. WINNEHtS AND LOSERS. They are a'l agog (' r the question of selling or consigning t l '" cheese output. Up at Mangatainoka the cheese-making company has already 1) ■) n soicly tempted by an offer equal to U ?.j(i per Il> of butter-fat. Last season this factory, like, it is said, every other chcise factory m Now /calami, exccjit two. consigned the output in the face of templing prices. It has been a sad vear for consignors. The Manga(ainoka chairman says the Home market, was 11 manipulated. Mr M. Alpass said the Ballaijce Dairy Factory sold tlm bulk of the output last season, and it meant £3OO more for him. There was great difference* of view expressed at this meeting, but finaliv the directors were left a free hand. They will decide on the 18th. Masterin') Co-operative Dairv Company (60 suppliers present) authorised the directors to buy a motor for collecting cream. Optimistic speakers declared it would increase the supplies by one-third. Grevtown (Wairarapa) is considering the question of adding a whey-separation plant. Eureka Dairy Company (Waikato) paid 11.82 d nor lb over ail for' buttcr-fat.

THE POWER OF MILK

There is great excitement among the “fresh milk - ’ suppliers at Auckland. They seem to have just discovered their enormous power. They have reached the dimensions of magnates, judged by the following facts; —The suppliers have registered a co-operative company to sell milk direct to the consumers instead of to middlemen. They have a factory in course of erection at Mangero, and are starting a central depot at Newmarket, whence the supplies will be distributed to tile “ morning jugs,” which are pretty numerous in _a town of 100,000 people. They have already bought out several shops, and are negotiating for others. These milkmen apparently do not go “nap” on pasteurising as a means of preserving milk, but will make liberal. use of refrigeration. Perhaps it matters little which, so Jong as they frigidly avoid borax and formalin. They will have special supplies for invalids and infants. What a city it will be to live in ! Really, Dr Frengley ought to stop vaccinating, and look up Auckland way. They arc carrying into operation the very Mason-Frenglcy scheme for which he battled so hard a few years ago. Its only “ defect ” is that it hasn’t got medical supervision. All the suppliers live within 12 miles of the centre, and their farms are all “ under Government inspection.” The in the milk circle , include Mangere. Papatoetoe. Otahuhu, Panmure, and Pakurainga—all noted for winter dairying. They have already contracted to sell the Exhibition refreshment contractor 200 gallons of milk and 50 gallons of cream daily. Personally I moan to got a glass of milk when I visit the Exhibition. But whether this great movement will mean cheaper or dearer milk—goodness knows. COWS FOR JAVA. Mr J. F. Mulder, who last year took a hatch of New Zealand Holstein dairy cows to Java, took a similar batch of shorthorns away by the Wimmera from Auckland last Monday. He says the New Zealand cows do well in the hot Java climate. Previously they got their supplies from Australia, but the prevalence of pleuropneumonia there has barred importations thence. MEAT UP. Meat is “up” in the butchers’ shops oT the north. While the dry autumn and mild winter have suited many districts, it has not been acceptable in the warmer territories, and Auckland pastures got rather thirsty. This caused a check* in the fattening of the mutton, and half of the big buyers, finding very little but useful stores left in that district, came south quite early in the winter—-as early as three months ago. Their appearance discommoded buyers in Wellington province, and stiffened the beef and mutton raisers’ backs considerably. Prime mutton lias been specially scarce. The natural sequel of bumped prices in the butchers’ shops has resulted, increases of id per lb on mutton, veal, and pork beintr effected. At Mangawoka as much as £ls 10s was paid for fat bullocks and 25s for fat sheen. Aucklanders buviug at these* figures.-' The phenomenal situation lias provided a fine harvest for men with winter root crons iSoon the warm spring rains on the relatively dry soils is expected to yield a wealth of Auckland grass, and ease prices.