Public Opinion.

Pahiatua Star and Eketahuna Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 167, 27 January 1888, Page 2

Public Opinion.

[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by correspondents.] ANNIVERSARY BALL. (TO THE EDITO t. Sir, —On Monday night tho settlers of Pahiatua joined together for the purpose of enjoying themselves, and that all those who attended the hall in the auction room did so is going without saying—a more pleasant evening was never spent in Pahiatua. There were a few (a very few I am pleased to say) in the community who thought the hall was not select enough for them, and they got up a private dance of their own. They were at perfect liberty to do this, but when several gititlemen, at the break-up of the private dance, coolly walked into the ball-room, it wk-s carrying the thing a trifle too far. The gentlemen (or some of them) were asked for their tickets, or the price, ss; they said they neither had tickets nor intended tc purchase them. The fact is they thought we should only be too glad to have their company; but to show that this was not tho case, when they wuwiked out of the room after refusing to pay, exclamations were numerous —" Oh, the mean fellows ; so long as they can get a thing without paying they will take any amount.” —I am, Ac., SCHOTTISCHE. DAIRY FACTORY. (TO TIIK EDITOR). Sir, —Referring to your leader in Tuesday's issue re tho advisability of establishing a dairy factory in Pahiatua, 1 may state that it seems to mo that it is a proper projxwtal, and one that should be at once acted upon by every settler here. I should like it confined to butter making only. My reasons arc that most of the factories in the colony are confined to making cheese, which article requires more care for shipment than butter, and there also appears to me to be a better demand for butler of fair quality in the Home market. If it wm possible (and I am sure it is under one general management) to make a good all-round article here, say the produce of 400 cow a, one ton of butter p*r w «<ck could be produced and shipped every fortnight by direct steamer. It could be put into freezing chambers ami reach Home in fir»t-rate condition, say from seven to eight weeks after making. Now I will suppose that my average of 5 lb. of butter per cow j»er week is a low one. also that (*»1 ]*<r lb. nett after all expenses are paid for the butter is low, y« t at this estimate each cow would yield £3 5s each for six months, besides having tire skim milk relumed to food pigs and rear calves, which would be another source of income. Say a man has ten cows, at my low* estimate he would receive ftr bis

butter nott say £32 10s, ten calve* say £7 10s, and 5 pig* say £5 ; total, £45. Kow I believe I am actually 60 per cent, lower in my calculation of proceed* than it would in all probability realise. Say average 7 lb*, of butler per cow, and nett 8d per lb., tbe proceeds would come up to £6l 15* for six monts for ten cow *. Then what would be tho result? Wo should have a n income of say from £IHOO to £2OOO for our butter, besides our calves and pig*. The matter is one worthy of earnest consideration.—l am. Ac., Prookus.

DAIRY FACTORY. TO TBE EDITOR). Sir, —Being oue of the first to move in this matter, perhaps it will be os well for mo to give the public of l'ahialua district a few facts aud figures, showing my reason for so doing. 1 was satisffod after getting to know the district, its grazing capabilities, and the class of settler, that it must eventually develop itself into dairy farming and raising beef aud mutton. To grow beef we must of necessity have cows to breed from ; and to reap the full benefit troin the cows they must produce something beyond their one calf j»er annum—and that something is of course either cheese or butter. At the beginning of this season I remarked to more than one that butter would soon be at a very low price. Tiie idea was laughed at by some, who felt sure the population of the district would be so much larger that the increase of butter would be easily consumed, aud so keep up the price. But, as is well known, the consuming power has not equalled the production, and as a natural consequeuce butter has been simply unsaleable. 1 do not put myself dow n to be an efficient and practical farmer or dairyman, but 1 am a Very close observer, ami am satisfied from the great number of young heifers that will be milking next summer that butter will be made and cows kept at a loss to their owners, and a loss thereby to the district. What then is to be done ? I see nothing else than to start a Dairy Factory. Some may be ready to ask, Why a Factory ? The whole root and foundation of profitable farming is a good market for what is produced. Where is that to be found ? On the Continent of Europe, the London market in particular. 1 have known butter to sell there us high as 3s per lb. I never knew good lb. butter less than Is. But to obtain the high prices in these markets we must have the best and most uniform quality of butter, and to obtain the quality and uniformity in color ami flavor it must be made by the latest and most systematic ami scientific principles ; aud I venture to say no dairy farm in private hands or otherwise with less than 50 cow s can reach the standard necessary to obtain the highest or greatest profits from their butter. It is only, then, at a factory or large farm (that might l*e termed a private factory) where this perfection can be reachod. But as 1 intend this letter to deal with the farmers’ side of the question only, ami not the factory side, I will confine myself to figures to show’ that it w ill pay farmers better to sell their milk than to make butter themselves.

We will suppose a farmer with ten cows, j taking this season as a criterion. The i cows came into profit in September; price I of butter at that time lUd per lb., in OetoI her 9d per lb., beginning of December 7d, after that unsaleable. What then can wc j consider the average of butter for the six months of the soason. If you keg the blitter from the ten cows it does not fill a keg in one churning ; therefore you must [ have two churnings, and consequently half the keg is exposed to the atmosphere ! until the next half is ready. Probably i there will be two colors in the keg, some | of it more salt than tho other, and almost a certainty a line of bad color between the ; first and second lot put down, which, when a buyer puts the taster through, will take off Id to 3d per lb., no matter what quality may be. What then can we consider the average for the six months of the season ? I hold we cannot rely on more than 6d per lb. We have taken ten cows for a farm. Supposing each cow produces on an average for the six months 6 lbs. per week, that wi.l make 60 lbs. for the ten, which at 6d per lb., returns £1 10s per week. Perhaps I have taken a very low* average for each cow, but I am also giving but a small average in the next part of the sub- ' ject, viz., from a factory point. I have shown in the above what the profit is to the farmer who does not sell his milk to the factory. Now for tho profit of the farmer who does. We will take the ten cows again, which to produce 6 lbs. of butter |>er week must at least produce three gallons of milk per day. The price paid by most factories in the South Island (I cannot speak for the North) is 3d per gallon. Now 3 gallons per day for each cow equals 210 gallons per w eek of 7 days, which at 3d per gallon gives £2 12s (ki, or £1 2s 6d over and above what the farmer would make privately. But on the | other hand the farmer loses the skiin milk for calves and pigs. Admitted ; but i the custom is now in some factories in [ Europe (Holland) and also in the colony | to return to the farmer the skim milk at : one-sixth the price paid for the new, or \d per gallon. Supposing the farmer bought back the same quantity of skim milk during the week, viz., 210 gallons at $d per gallon, equal to 8s 9d, it wo ild still leave a clear profit of 13s 9d, besides saving per week the labor attendant oil dairy work, cost of building and uteusds

I think I have shown conclusively that it would he more profitable to the farmer to send his milk to the factory than to work it himself, and tak ng into consideration the fact that dairy farming will be a profitless occupation unless we have a factory, it stands to reason that those engaged in dairy pursuits will at no distant date have to seek other occupations, such as raising sheep and cattle. 1 think I ran prove that on a farm managed bv a man and his family, whether dairying or sheep, the former will nav much better than the latter, providing a factory is established which will take all the milk at a fair price. At an early date 1 will endeavor to show that the factory from an investment point will be worth the consideration of the people of rahintua. Personally I am greatly against newspaper corresj»ondence, but this matter is one of immense importance to the district, and knowing a little of the subject, I Mr. I would be neglecting my duty if I did not put a shoulder to the wheel.—l aid. Ac., H. W. Bkd.os.