Mr Beck's Dairy Farm.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 8776, 11 March 1897, Page 2

Mr Beck's Dairy Farm.

Mr Alexander Beck, the well known dairy farmer of Seadown, has lately had erected an * Aktiebolaget Separator,” which is of the latest improved pattern, there being at time of its fitting up only three others of the same make and capacity in the colony. Separators are now pretty well known, thanks to exhibitions at agricultural shows, and though the mechanism is somewhat complicated the process of separation of the cream from the milk is generally

pretty well understood. There is, therefore, no necessity to load this short article with a description of one. Mr Beck is at present handling about 2001bs of butter per week, and it was with the determination to keep well up to his work that he went in for the new and larger machine. The separator is driven by steam, which acts directly on a turbine, which drives the machine at about 6000 revolutions a minute. Above it the milk fresh from the cow is put into a lar'ge receiver, the pipe from which feeds the separator at a given rate. As the separator revolves, the cream runs from it into a water-jaeketted pan (by the by Mr Beck’s own i n vention), and the ski rn milk is led away and fed to pigs. About 130 gallons of milk are manipulated every hour, and the separator does its work in a highly satisfactory manner. Though small-looking it is a marvel of workmanship, and runs with the precision of a watch. The high state of finish of even such little things as the automatic oiler and the alarm bell (which records so many revolutions per minute by ringing), shows that the makers set themselves a high standard of workmanship. The greatest cleanliness is observed, and a good deal of technical knowledge, is required when working it, and Miss Beck rather surprised the maker’s expert by the able way she manipulated it when it was ready for running the first time. In addition to the steam from the boiler driving the pony turbine, it is also utilised to prop d a small engine which revolves the churn, heats the water which is used for cleansing pans, buckets, etc., and, at their proper season, will be further used for chaff-cutting, oat crushing, etc Mr Beck has a very fine herd of milch cows, and a well laid out and handily worked farm on which the best of feed and water are abundant. “ Beck’s butter ” is known all over the district as of the very finest in theeolony, and any visitor happening to drop in at milking time will be surprised to note the completeness of the arrangements, and the great care which is taken to have all the utensils with which such susceptible articles as milk and butter come into contact, scrupulously clean. The owner is a man who believes in the motto “ make haste slowly,” and is wisely content to so regulate his plant that it will be equal to the best of present demands, and as his business prospers and his trade connection expands, he hopes to be in a position to be still able to further add to it.