BUTTER AND CHEESE FACTORIES IN THE KIAMA DISTRICT, NEW SOUTH WALES.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 623, 4 July 1882, Page 3

BUTTER AND CHEESE FACTORIES IN THE KIAMA DISTRICT, NEW SOUTH WALES.

„ (From the " Town and Country Journal.", Tho dairying iniereet of the district may In) fathered from the accompanying statement of the Mianui Agricultural Society: " From the iirisatietaetory manner in which the txisini'SH uf the dairymen Iml been attended loin Sydney, they combine'! and established the South Coaht and West, "(Jiimdeii Co-open: live Oumpariy in July 1881 It in imiKHtiasary, as it would be ■t«di«iHH, to enter into the preliminary detailw which led to its establishment; suffice ■»*it to say, the importance of the interest advocated,amounting to between £300,000 nnd £400,000 per annum, was in an unsatisfactory state, as to rapid fluctuation* in prico, and at some periods of the year.it was quoted as unsuitable altogether except At ruinoue prices to tbe producer. After various ideas had been promulgated, it was determined to begin in Sydney an agency on the co-operative principle for jthe sale of our produce, under the control a board of directors. This was a step in tbe right direction, for it consolidated the sales to a large extent, and kept the other means of sale in a state of ' lively •Commotion. , It also gave the nucleus of power to enable the surplus stock to be reduced in time of plethora, and by exportations obtain uniform prices throughout the season, and it now lies solely with tho producer, by supporting this institution, to secure a remunerative rate for his labor in the most abundant seasons of supply, which shipment* to London substantially corroborate. Since its'establishment in July, 1881, to the end of the year (by ats circular issued), it has disposed of over £72,000 worth of produce for its constituents. This included the sale of 19,724 ■casks of butter—which will f>ive some (knowledge, of its business. During the wunmer of 1881 the piu-e realised for butter was 80 per cent, over pri'vioiw years. Some atti'ibulule thi.*, not to the action of the company, but to excess of supply in -other years cotupnn d will the summer of 1881. To give some data on this point I ithave had compiled (through the couifeHy •of the I.S.N. Com pan) and Shcllhaibor Steam Company) returns from all the shipping ports on the souih coast districts, together with the railway returns, and find "that notwithstanding the Urge falling off in 1881 from the Bega district of 3000 kegs in six months, that, adding the importations to Sydney from other colonies, over 5000 caskn were placed on the Sydney market above the quantity for same period of 1880, the great decrease in the Bega district being attributed to the rapid growth of their cheese manufacture, as lucrative than butter making in former years. It is interesting, however, to know, from all information available, that the entire stocks to supply the Sydney jnarket in 1881 amounted, in round riuniA bers, to 102.500 casks, made up as follows : — Ulladulla, Merimbular, Tathra. and Eden, 20,800; Shoalhaven and Broughton Creek, 16.000: Moss Vale and Kangaroo Valley, 11.000 ; Bowral, about 4000; C inden, 10,000; Wollongong, 3000 ; Kiama, Goringnng, and Shellharbor <the police district), 32,500 ; total, 102,500, thus giving Kiama district the output of nearly one-third of the Imtter sent to the Sydney market. It may well be asked, what does the butter industry owe to the -Co-operative Company ? An increase of 3d per Il>. and the half-year's supply has landed £36,000 in their pockets—a large amount to be distributed in so short a time. Although the company has disposed ■of, during the first six months of its existence, at the rate of nearly 40,000 *"-casks per annum, it has not been receiving the support it merits. Numbers there are in our districts who, recognising its atility, were profuse in their advocacy of beginning, have even taken shares to a considerable extent, but, either through ■want of inoial courage or the quintessence of parsimony, withhold their practical support, yet directly reup the benefits of others, and do nothing to assist this boon to the producer. This is no new feature in communities. American dairymen had the same ordeal to pass through." Ier.RABA CHEESE FACTORY. This factory fe located in a rich valley, y fibout three miles from Kiamn. It was ■» -erected by the proprietor, Mr Harding, who does business also at George street Maru kets. The building is 40ft by 30ft, and fitted with every modern appliance required to carry out the Cheddar system of oheese making. The plant, consisting of one of Shanks & Sons' two-horsu power - vertical engines, to supply steam for hunting purposes and grinding the curd ; two 550-gailoji vats, with curd' mill; an agitator, driven by a water wheel, which gives v hlow motion backwards and forwards to tlie evening's milk during the night, which prevents the cream from rising, and frees a 1 gases which may be held by the milk. Tlih toater supply is a feature of the factory. It i?; brought in oi<e-inch pipes from a height of over 100 ft, from a waterfall at *- a distance of eight chains, and laid on in branches where required. It is a neverfailing supply. There are six double pressers. by Young & Son, of Ayr, Scotland ; lour double sets of shelves for ** curing the cheese ; tlioy are capab c of holdinjr 1408 cheese of 401b each, this, with the Wiltshire "truckle," of 101b to 121b each, being the only size made. The ntfeeinem between the factory and the milk contributor is for three years D'ling seven summer months of each year the milte is to be cooled and delivered

twice daily, in a pure and sweet condition, at 3d per gallon; and when butter is quoted at Is per It) in the Sydney market, then 4d will be given. In consequence of the drought tbe factory is not working at present. The operations for the time closed, after making nbout 30ewt cheese. We look at this enterprise as a step in the right direction, tending towards co-opera-tive or associated dairying, of which the proprietor has had for some years expe rience in Derbyshire, and which, in our opinion, is the correct system to be followed to obtain the best results—that is, the best quality and highest average of butter or cheese at the lowest possible cost It is high time for the dairymen of our southern coast to be up and doing We intend dealing with bacon and bacon curing interest of the district in another illustrated article. SWEET CRBAM BUTTER. The butter made in Denmark is held in high esteem in Europe on account of its keeping qualities. How it is made is described in a recent number of the Milch Zeitung, tho method given being that followed at one of the large factories in Denmark, as follows:— The special aim at this factory is the production of the finest quality of sweet cream butter, and a good, not too lean, cheese ; a large quantity of milk is worked iip. 55 ; 000lbs, for instance, in the week ending June 18. The cream from the first skimming, taken off after the milk has stood nine or ten hours, is a«ed for sweet cream butter, lib of such butter requiring 35 - 41bs of milk ; from the cream of subsequent skimming a small quantity of sour cream butter is prepared ; taking lioth kinils of butter together, 3121b of milk are required for lib of Imtter. Never li:&s than o*s per cent of fat is left in the skimmed milk, this limit being strictly fixed in order that the cheese shall be fair in quality. To cool the milk as quickly as possible the tanks in which the milk vesse's are to be set are first nearly filled with broken ice and a little water ; the milk pails, of oval form, and holding about 7011)9 each, are then fo>ced down into this thick ice-pap ; in 45 minutes the milk fails front 86 to 68 degiees, and in 30 minutes more to 55 degrees; when skimmed the temperature of the milk is about 36 degieee. The cream is heated to about 52 degrees preparatory to churning ; in winter it is heated about three degrees higher; the same is done if the cows have been fed on old hay, or if there has been an unusually large proportion of beans and vetches in their rations. The churning occupies from 27 to 30 minutes ; to water is added during the operation, skimmed milk being used to wash down the sides of the churn ; the butter comes in small pellets, like innheads, and the churning is t-topped at this point; the butter is gathered in a strainer, and kneaded with (ho hands ; salt is added at the rate of ihiee-eighihe of an ounce to the pound, and after more working with the hands (he butter is made up into 51b rolls an:! l:iid in an ice che-t, where it remains an hour and a half, and cools down to .52 degrees again, when it is finally kneaded with the butter worker. Kneading at first with the hands is preferred, because, as it is claimed, the buttermilk is limn? completely worked out. The utmost clomliness is maintained throughout the factory, and scrupulously careful attention is required lo Ihe details of the management of the croam and butter, under tin , , immediate supervision of the skilled dairy-woman who has llin whole in chirge. The product of llie factory i< in near y ail cases ranked as first-class by thu Copenhagen expnnnrs. whoso judgment is looked upon us firstclass.