BANKS PENINSULA FARMERS' CLUB.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 667, 5 December 1882, Page 2

BANKS PENINSULA FARMERS' CLUB.

A meeting of this Club was held on Saturday. Present—the president (Mr Piper), and Messrs Glynan, J. Curry, S. Hunt, G-. Checkly, Bruce, McGregor, Bates, McDonald, Davis, Mullins, Libeau, Jones, Morgan, W. Masefield, Henry Ayhner, Duxbury, David, Odell, Jacobson, and Barwick (secretary.) MINUTES. Tho minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. Letters were read from Messrs W. Sims and W. Jacobson, paying they were willing to act as auditors for the Farmers' Club. It was resolved they should be thanked for accepting the office. From Mr Harding, as follows :— " Cheese Factory, Flemington, Ashburton, Nov. 28., 1882. Sir,—l duly received your invitation to be Judge at your forthcoming show, but am sorry to say I must decline it, as all the business here being new, I cannot engage to leave home much for this season. I hope to be more at liberty another year, when I should much appreciate tin opportunity to visit your Peninsula of which I have heard glowing accounts.—Yours, etc.,

" William Harding." From Mr Ivey, as follows :— "Canterbury College,

" Lincoln, 27th Nov. 1882,

•' Dear Sir,—Wβ have a church bazaar at Lincoln on New Year's Day, 1883, which I cannot possibly absent myself from, else I should be glad to act for you at your show. I fear I can only wish you success.—Yours, etc., " W. G. Ive?." From Mr Bowron, as follows :— " Christchurch, 27th Nov. 1882. " Dear Sir, —If nothing unforseen prevent, I shall be pleased to giro you the best of my judgment and experience at your forthcoming exhibition. 1 sincerely hope you may have a succeesful one. Should have answered you sooner had I been at home.—Yours, etc., "W. Bowron." Seeing that this left only one judge, it was resolved that Messrs K. Sutherland, of Christchurch, and G. Mackay, of Lyttelton, bo written to asking them to act as judges, and in the event of their refusing, Messrs Barley, Hudson and Ridley be communicated with, asking them to help in the matter. NOMINATIONS. Messrs S. Curry and S. Hunt were nominated as members of the club. THE SHOW GROUND SITE. Mr Piper said he had interviewed Mrs Shadbolt regarding the site for the show ground. Mrs Sh dbolt would sooner let for 7 years with a purchasing clause, than lease for 10 years as proposed, but the price for the land had not been settled. There was another objection raised by Uiat lady, which was the leasing of the booth on the show day. She considered that the local hotel should have the right of selling at this booth instead of its being put up to tender in the ordinary way. Mrs Shadbolt had ultimately agreed to let the club have the site for ten years at £10 per annum,as originally proposed. He thought that it would be better to have a draft agreement, and get it signed with condi - tions attached.

Mr Mc&iegor moved, That the action of the President be approved, and that he and the Secretary be empowered to draw up a memorandum of agreement for a ten yeara lease with a purchasing clause added if practicable. Seconded by Mr S. Hunt and carried. COEN EXCHANGE QUOTATION. Mr Henning said that he saw the Corn Exchange report quoted 6d per lb as the price for new cheese. He did not believe in these low prices being quoted, as at the time Gd was quoted as the current rate, he had sold two tons at 7£d t.o.b. He thought a point was worked in the Christchurch papers by quoting these low prices, and objected to it, and considered it would be well to call the attention of the Corn Exchange Committee to the matter. Farmers at Le Bon's, Okain's, or elsewhere might Bee cheese quoted at 6d, nnd would then perhaps go to Lyttelton, see a merchant there, and sell at that price thinking it was the full market rate. He believed they went on making the same quotations from month to month, paying no attention to the state of the market. The present price was he believed 6£d instead of 6d, and as Akaroa was certainly the present centre of the cheese trade, he thought that two or three members of the ciub might be appointed to furnish prices to the Christchurch papers, he moved :— " That the Corn Exchange be written to calling attention to the fact that their quotations for cheese were misleading.

Mr McGregor thought the Club would render itself ridiculous by interfering in the matter. It was really a matter of commerce, the buyers striving to get the article at the lowest price, and the seller to get as much as he could for it. It would lead to no good result to write to a body like the Corn Exchange, or a paper, to alter its quotations, as the price was fixed purely on trade principles by the supply and demand.

Mr Duxbury said that he had seen so many wrong quotations as to the price of cheese in the Canterbury Times and they were very misleading and often influenced a settler to a disadvantage. He instanced one case in which he said a fanner could have sold at 6£d but teok 6d because he saw that price quoted. After chcojo rose the prices were never quoted os higher till afterwards. Mr \V. Masefield seconded Mr Henning's resolution, sayii'g he thought a letter to the Corn Exchange Committee on the subject would do good—carried.

A number of members were of opinion that it would be a good thing if the current price of cheese in Akaroa were weekly published in the Akaroa Mail. THE VISIT TO FLEMINGTON. Mr Checkly said he had promised to cay something regarding his visit to Flemington bsit had given a description already in the paper containing the principal portion. Ho had gone with the sole object of gaining information for his brother farmers

and himself, and he took this opportunity of laying it before thorn. (Applause). Tlio cheeso was too new at the time he visited the factory for him to form an

opinion of its merits, as they had only been making it two weeks, but ho believed they were making a first-class article. Mr Harding, the manager of the factory, was the son of that Mr Harding whose books had been the guide in making the Cheddar cheese to bo many Peninsula farmers. There were no cows kept at the factory, which was entirely supplied by the farmers who brought in milk. Most of the farmers in the neighborhood produced much corn, and had not a great deal of land laid down, but they intended to keep more cows now their milk was sure of a steady sale. The factory promoters also intended to get families to settle in the neighborhood, so that the children could milk. The capital of the factory was nominally £5000. but only £2000 had been called up. The milk was brought to the factory twice a day, generally in cans on drays, and, on being tested, went into the vat. Cold and hot water were used from elevated tanks. The vats, used with casings, to allow of a stream of water round them, were good, and could be easily worked on the Peninsula, where there was such an abundance of water. If the factory produced a better quality at a cheaper rate, they would of course cut out Aksroa, but he fancied that the farmers on the Peninsula had the advantage in being able to get the work done by their families, instead of paying for it, and he thought that with their freeholds they need not fear factory competition, if they made a really good article. The system of making was much the same as that of Mrs Reid, of Wainui, and a number of others, only they used no sour whey. (Mr Checkley here explained the process, which has already been reported.) One difference was, that at the factory they broke the curd to pieces with their handsjj instead of cntting with a knife. As he before said, they kept the curd till it was acid enough, if they had to wait till lhe next morning, and never added sour whey, so as to prevent the cheeses puffing. In answer to questions, Mr Chebkley said the milk was set at 84 deg., and scalded to 100 deg. Mr Duxbury said any farmer couln keep his milk sweet by putting in clean kerosene tins and hanging in water. Ibis made better cheese, as little cream then rose, and if cream did rise much, he was of opinion it was detrimental to the cheese.

Mr Checkley said if a vessel containing cold water were put in the centre of the milk vat it would have the same effect. Mr Masefield moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Checkley for having given them such useful information. Mr Mullins seconded. Mr Duxbury in' supporting stated that he highly believed in the use of whey. He thought Mr Checkley's information most invaluable and hoped the farmers would profit by it. THE PBIZES. Mr Duxbury said that many thought the prizes offered for cheese at the Akaroa show were too small, and that if the club agreed he would give 10s and try to get othe r s to contribute so that an additionsl sum might be added to the cheese prizes. The members present thanked Mr Duxbury and a collection was made in the room.

Tho meeting then adjourned till Saturday next, same time, same place.