GENERAL FARM NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 8, 4 October 1907, Page 2

GENERAL FARM NEWS.

: NIREAHA DAIRY FACTORY-. Mr. T. B. Bason, secretary of the Nireaha Co-operative Dairy Co., sontls ' us the following account of tlio rise and progrgss of his Company:—"A mooting of settlors of the Nireaha district was held on April 18, 1904, to discuss the advisability of starting ' a Co-operative Dairy. Company. .After some delay with regard to procuring .a suitable site, etc., the Company was formed and a contract let to a local contractor for building a cheese, factory, and .another contract let to Messrs J. D. .MacEwan and Co., of Wellington, for tho equipment of tho factory. In due, Course tho contracts were completed, and tho factory was opened to receivo milk seven months alter the first mooting of settlers (on November 28). Tho growth of tho I output in the thrco ' seasons which liavo elapsed since that date will bo seen in the following figures:— Biggest supply Ulllc in One Cheese Total Season. Dnv. Murlo. Value. ■ 1904-5 918gls. 50 tons £2607 1905-6 1570g15. 103 tons £6000 iyQG-7 1940g15. 135 tons £8280 This year the factory has - been enlarged, and is now equipped with four vats, ami ( in all probability' a fifth will have to be put in before'the Now Year. The storago and packing departments have also been extensively enlarged this season to cope, with tho increased supply. Taking into consideration the fact that an area of 600 acres of fbrest reserve adjoining the factory is not' at present supplying any milk, but will he in the course of another year or so, I think wo can reckon on having a gj x _ vat factory before long."

Mr. Singleton, the checso expert, while in Canada, accompanied one of the Ontario cheese instructors on his rounds, and made a note of his methods. The Ontario system is for n "syndicate" of twenty or thirty factories to have the services of one .Government expert, who, after visit-ing-the factories, calls on those suppliers whose milk has been faulty and aids them to find a remedy. Suppliers whose milk has been totally rejected for some fault aro forbidden by law to patronise n rival factory. Naturally, "from this system, great improvement hns resulted, and clean up-to-date' premises and utensils are universal.

Many Canadian farmers, says Mr. Singleton, have cold milk houses, kept cold by ice preserved from the abundant supplies of winter. These cold houses enable Sunday deliveries to be avoided. With similar supplies of ice the cool curing of cheese also is facilitated.

Mr. Singleton found in Tooley Street, London, that merchants, sore oyer their losses of. last year, aro disinclined to contract for a whole season's butter supplies, : hut prefer to purchase in London as consignments arrive. New Zealand's best and worst brands are well known all over, Tooley Street, and aro sfioken of with reference to their characteristics. The cheese of a factory noted for the poor flavour of its produce is known as the cheese with the — (tho name of tho factory) flavour. A good reputation in Tooley Street is worth money. There is a readier sale for product; bearing the factory's brand .than for unbranded produce. Especially is the brand looked for by the large retailer who combines New Zealand, Danish, Canadian, and other butters together, and retails it under his own brand ifi a uniform quality. Mr. Singleton does not see any likelihood of New Zealand butter reaching tho consumers unmixed. And in" any case ho thinks we should be content. so long as the big buyers recognise its value. There is 110 reason' to doubt, however, that tho wholesale firms send out the New Zealand packages intact. The president, Mr. David Jones, and Mr .0. F. Clothier, of tho North Canterbury provincial executive of the N.Z. Farmers' Union, were due in Wellington' yesterday, to £ivo evidence before tho Labour Bills Committeo in tho matter of the Arbitration Act Amendment Bill. The windy weather at Fiiirlie during the last week has not been favourable to tho lambing, which is now in full swing. Early crops are showing up well, and the spring crop is nearly all 111. Ploughing for early turnips has commenced in some quarters.—" Timaru Post." Valuable ewes (says the "Farmers' Advocate ") should bo trimmed' before' they lamb in order that tho little stranger may find its storo of foodwhen ready. to cat. The sensible >'cwc knows how to crouch down, so that her udder conies forward to meet tho lamb's advances, but unless the wool and'dirt has been clipped away the lamb may fail to find tho nipple and get discouraged beforo assistance conios. Mr. Balsullie, a farmer of eleven years' standing in the Kairanga . district, states that the season is the worst he has experienced in the Manawatu. Not only is the mortality in sheep and lambs high, hut the, loss of cattle is considerable. Mr. Balsullie went 011 to give instances of where small farmers had lost two, three, and as ,n\auy as ten cows during tho stormy weather. Tho surroundings 011 the farms aro 011 c mass of mud, and it is impossiblo to put a plough into the land, " Forward dolivory " sales of stock (says the "Age'') are"fairly frequent in the Wairarapa at the present time, 4 delivery in most cases'to. take place about January or February, next. .The prices ruling at this class of sales aro about'on a par witn those prevailingm s Octobor last year. One well-known, firm has already sold upwards .of 20,000 lambs in the Busli district, the conditions being that delivery is not to tako place until weaning-time, in' January next. Fat sheep and cattle ai'e in short supply in this district at present-. This is probably, duo to tho. fact- that the growth of grass is backward. . Tho prices ruling for this class .of stock are, however, slightly better than those. prevailing this time last year.. The recent rough weather lias had a detrimental effect 011 feed in the' Masterton and Bush districts. The , present indications, according to a well-known local stock agciit, are that there will not bo much growth in the . spring, grass in either districts before the ond of the present mouth. ■ DISTRICT REPORTS. The excellent prices .which are now ruling for wool is one of the' probable reasons why large numbers of sheepowners shear their lambs. A Wairarapu farmer informed our correspondent that there was 110 -risk in shearing the lambs, provided it was not done too. late in the season. He alwhys shore tlftm in December.. Sir. James Stuckey is another authority who has stated that he would . always shear ail the lambs that -he could gc-t. • ' ' A 'Mauriccviije farmer Ins proved to his own satisfaction the truth of .Mr. Gilruth's statement that ewes in lamb should not be too well fed, and should not be placed oil too soft pastures. ■ Tho former placed 500 and 300 owes each 011 well grassed and ' bare areas.. The lambing'percentage of the 500 ewes 011 the .well grassed area was 115', while thirty-one' owes died. On the baro paddock the lambing percentage was 117, and the mortality amongst tho ow.C3 sixteen. There are prospects of a most successful shearing season in'the Wairarapa. Although there has been a mortality amongst ewes owing to wet pastures, the lambing returns have been excellent. There is plenty of feed, and the sheep aro in good "condition.