CHEESE FARMING.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2137, 20 March 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHEESE FARMING.

In an article in the " English Illustrat Magazine " on cheese-farming in Cheshire, on a farm of 187 acres, the gross produce was considerably more than £2000, the expenses about £1500, thus showing a net profit of £500 per annual. In a climate like New Zealand there should be no difficulty in realising most satisfactory results. The element of labour does not enter into this calculation, when comparing the condition of the Colonial dairy farmer with that of his Englibh confrere. We aro now referring to those small farmers who can with their own families do their own work. Indeed the New Zealand dairyman has largely the advantage in the matter of climate, which means a great deal. Again, we suffer no losses for periodical attacks of sundry diseases which occasionally decimate the dairies of tho old country. The greatest difficulty our small farmers have to contend with at the present time is the difficulty of procuring stock, not that it is by any means scarce, but from the great dearth of reidy money. The past four or five years' bad harvests, and the high rates of interest often incidental on indifferent security, has put the acquirement of additional stock beyond the reach of many a man who * knows better than we do the advantages of a changed system of fanning we are now, as on many other occasions advocating in these colonies. It must, however, be remembered that the puichaseof the requisite number ot cows necessary to stock a dairy fum-, is not all that is required. There are c »ww— and cow*. An awrag6 well-cared for cow should yiHd from 450 to 500 gallons of milk during the milky reason of say fortynine weeks, while a badly selected animal may not yield 300 gallons, aud yet will require the same attention and food. It will thus be been that while there would be a handsome profit for the foimer there must be a dead losj> for the latter. Another pre*t advantage in keeping a great proportion of the land under grass, is that thd land will be improving in quality, ano remunerative crops of grain will be secured, when it is, neewsary to break up the land,