DAIRYING 40 YEARS AGO

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1934, Page 19 (Supplement)

DAIRYING 40 YEARS AGO

MANAGER’S REMINISCENCES THUNDERBOLT CAUSES TROUBLE. STORMY ANNUAL MEETINGS. The management of a dairy factory 40 years ago was vastly different to what it is to-day and there are not many managers of those days left to record their experiences. One of these, however, is Mr. A. McWilliam, Eltham, and he recently recalled some of the incidents of his period as manager of the Mangatoki dairy factory. Forty-one years ago in 1893 he inspected the property, then owned by Mr. Chew Chong, for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. Ltd. and recommended the company to buy the business. To Mr. McWilliam, who had graduated through the school of practical dairying experience in Scotland, the prospects for dairying in Mangatoki looked alluring. He reported to his principals accordingly. The prediction made nearly half a century ago has been well borne out by the results of later years- ... . .. Conditions were very primitive in those early years and it was not unusual for the cream waggon to be bogged on the road-side. The load would have to be taken off before the vehicle could be extricated and many were the wearisome and vexatious delays. The cows at this time were mostly grade Shorthorns, better known perhaps as the “Taranaki bush type” of cattle. Jerseys or Friesians were unheard of then and butterfat tests were far lower than they are to-day. The first Friesian bull to be introduced into the district was one bought by Mr. McWilliam from Grigg's Longbeach Estate, Canterbury, for his father-in-law, Mr. J. Heslop, Matapu. . , , The country was covered with standing trees and logs and it was impossible to see the adjoining homesteads owing to the mass of gaunt limbs. As the fallen trees became dry there was a great danger of log fires and on two occasions these disastrous visitations swept through the countryside. It was an anxious time for the settlers and on one occasion the factory building was endangered. Factory equipment was somewhat primitive, there being no such thing as a refrigerator, and this necessitated much labour in avoiding the higher temperatures of the daytime. The staff had to get up early in the morning and churn and work the butter while it was cool and likewise continue long into the night. The day’s work not infrequently consisted of 16 hours. “Perhaps the most remarkable occurrence was when a thunderbolt fell on Mr. Phillips’ farm now in possession of Mrs. Brown—near the factory,” continued Mr. McWilliam. “I was in the butter room at the time and heard a noise like a cannon shot that sent me running up to see if the separator had exploded. But instead of a smashed separator I found a yard full of tangled horses, carts and cans, with some horses bolting-up the road as hard as they could, the milk and cans spilling all along the roadside.” Eventually creameries were established in the surrounding districts of Mahoe, Kaponga, Riverlea, Lower Palmer Road, Matapu and Te Roti, and it became my duty to ride round on horseback to see the various branches. But often I was stopped on the way by dissatisfied suppliers who had some complaint to make regarding their test. The settlers were suspicious of the new system of Babcock testing and felt that they were not getting their dues. But their complaints were not justified. The milk of that period was much lower in fat percentage than it is to-day and when I left in 1901 after eight years service the fat percentage of the milk for the year was only 3.9 by weight of fat. “Yes,” continued Mr. McWilliam, the farmers got all the ‘test’ their milk showed, but it was difficult to show them that they were not entitled to more.” “It was a proud achievement when 8a per lb was paid out to suppliers for their butterfat and everyone thought the golden age had arrived, but it was not such a happy occasion when a refund had to be made! This ( was caused by an overpayment the previous year, which had to be reclaimed by a small

monthly deduction popularly known as the ‘refund’—a name that bore a stigma to the very last. The year of the refund came to be known as ‘the black year.’ . “The annual meeting of Mangatoki suppliers was a somewhat lively event in' my time,” added Mr. McWilliam. “The Wanganui manager, Mr. J. Stevenson, and his accountant would be present to meet the suppliers and frequently they had to listen to violent criticisms of the company and its manager by discontented dairymen. I soon came to know what it meant to be a buffer between opposing interests. “At last co-operation began to make itself felt in Taranaki dairying and I advised the company to sell out, which it did, and I went on in another branch of the company’s service.” Commenting on the quality of product in those distant days Mr. McWilliam considered that the butter then was better in many ways than it is to-day. Made from lightly-soured cream and without pasteurisation it possessed a pleasant flavour that is not known in this age of mild neutral flavour. However, in the hot weather some of the cream was not too good and even though all sorts of dodges were adopted to beat the heat some of the results were poor. But the best butter of those times was really good.