West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1907

West Coast Times, Issue 14141, 18 June 1907, Page 2

West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1907

frufteredi Mfcflna of CotnaiUui<a.ion Witb j thp Sju li h; ye been improvirg for some time row, and when the railway ia cotr- 1 1 1 ted to Ross, which it is expected to he at least wiih'n eighteen months, tbe aoit'iern district will be brought Vr'y well within rench of tbe markets. The prospect has cvide»t'y enoouraged t'-e south' rn f raers to rra'-re an effort t> paitic'p te in the recognised adrant-'ges accruing ti farming d'strict whereiq ''airy factories are established, and the Big Wangßnui is taking the lead in a m -v«mei t which it in to be hoped will be but the beginning of a considerable extension of dairying in South Weft'and. There is no reason why districts in the South, which are comparatively remote, should cot introduce dairying and participate in its profits. In such dis'ricts it may nit 'be feasible or adviaalle to start butter factories, hut the settlers could and should go '"n for cheese factories The desideratum in p oedi ting dairying of any kidd is tbe question as to tbe supply of milk, but in South Wectland that essential factor is assured. That being so, cheese factories in all farming dictnots there are practicable, and would possib'y be found acre suit b!e than butter factories Tbe r asors for this opinion are patent, be fause whrrcai butter is a perishable article and requires special conditions 'either wto storage or transport, cheese can be racily stored and will not readily suffer in traneit. It iray be pointed out also that the manu r a?ture of cheese is thb more pre Stable industry/ vide the last anrrml report of "The National Dairy Association of the South Island." On the subject of cbeeße v butter making, tbe report says: — "Tbe high prices ruling for cheese during Ibe last two years have cause d a feeling of unrest and dissatisfaction among milk suppliers to tbe butter factories, whuh ib quite natura 1 , for suppliers to chees? factories tavebeen getting Is to Is 2d per lb for butter fet, as a^inst 9Jd to lOJd paid by the butter factories. Many butter factories in the Noith Island have now turned to cheese making and many more are strongly urged to do so. The position ia a difficult one to deal witb, for no one can foretell what cheese will be in the years that are coming. Factories * have been recommended by some to erett^ duplicate plants and turn to cheese or butter making as apprars advisable/ Tbe report continuing^does not advise the duplicate factory priccif Ip, and as to the alteration of butter to cheese factories with the bui ter market as it- is, and tbe general adoption of that great labour saving di« vice, the milking machine, it is hardly likely that many butter factories will give up making butter in favour of cheese. Whether butter or cheese making will be move generally favonred in South Westland in tbe future, however, is a question which only time and the varying conditions of ,the market can decide, The present condition <of the market would point to the advisableness of going in for the latter industry, until at all events the southern district is brought more closely in t|uoh wiih the north. The starting of dairying will prove a boon to the Big Wanganui settlers aa it has to tbose of Arahura, Kokatahi, and Koitsrangi, and thejr are to be congratulated on such a forward movement whiob has great pcs sibil'£es as the likely forerunner of tbe es'abiishment of many 'other industries of ajkindred nature.

EX r/tfniNG THE DAIRY INCUS- / TRY IN WESTLAND. Tue project for the establishment; ef a ] Dairy Factory at the Big Wanganui, South Wtstland. which i 3 tj be evt a f oot this week, has a very iroporia\t bra-ing on tbe future prosperity of tra k district. It tas long been recogniGcd" t*iEr. South Westland has 1 irge trac's of first class grazing land capable of carrying an im mense qmntity cf milking stock, and tbe only reason why dairying has not been in full swing tbereyear* ago, b the wtLtioo from which tbe southern couutry has