NORFOLK ROAD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11661, 22 January 1901, Page 1

NORFOLK ROAD.

Ikrom our own correspondent I

I find it difficult matter to get at the actual milk statistics for our district, but will give you what I can. Taking the Maketawa Dairy factory (which, as it gained first prize for butter at the N.P.A. and P. Show deserves first mention) I find that for the year ended August 31st, 1900, the amount of milk supplied was 4423*030 lbs, being an increase over the previous year's work of 4201411b5. The amount of milk supplied for that year was then, roughly speaking, 421,241 gallons, or the product of over 105,000 good cows for one day. This amount of milk produced 192,8901bs (or 86| tons) of butter, being an increase of 19,6371bs (or 8f tons> of butter over the previous year's work. It took an average of 22'931bs of milk to make lib of butter, as against 23.101bs of milk for the previous year. This was probably because the average test had risen from 3.87 in 1899 to 3.90 in 1900, showing either that the suppliers are providing themselves with a better class of milch- animal, or are making better use of their grazing facilities. Suppliers were paid for butter-fat at the rate of slightly more than 8 7-8 d per lb, as against B£d per lb for the previous year. There can be no doubt that the result of the year's operations reflects tbe greatest credit on all concerned in the management and working of this very successful factory.

At Rugby Road there is a creamery under the management of the Midhirst Dairy Company, but I find it impossible to give any figures referring to the local creamery, which is all we are interested in. I think it will not be very wide of the mark to say that the amount of milk supplied to this creamery was, for the year ended Hay 31st, 1900, about 1,756,0001b5., every 23-221bs. of which would produce lib. of butter, making a total of 75,3661b5. of butter (33 3-stons). This, roughly speaking, would represent the produce of over 41,000 good cows for one day. Suppliers were paid for butterfat at the rate of Bfd per lb. Besides these two large concerns there are two persons resident in the district who work independently, and are milking between them perhaps 50 cows. ' I have said that the work of the Maketawa Dairy Factory represents (as I think) the produce of over 105,000 good cows for one day, and that of the Rugby Boad Creamery 41,000. Taking the length of the milking season at 250 days, then this distriot is carrying, and there are being milked twice each day for eight months of the year, about 650 cows. But our district is only a very small (though undoubtedly important) part of the great milk-producing Taranaki, so one can only imagine what a mine of figures the whole district would supply. I still go on to tell you how much time daily is occupied in milking these cows, how many men and boys it takes to do it, what is the average earning capacity of each cow, of each acie of land, and how many blades of grass is takes to produco lib. of butter-fat; but my brain is beginning to churn — swim, I mean; lean chew the cud— that is, ruminate, no longer; so I will for the present pursue this greasy subject no further.