DAIRYING IN TERMS OF £, s. d

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 864, 9 July 1910, Page 16

DAIRYING IN TERMS OF £, s. d

Some idea of the magnitude of the milk business'in-South Taranaki may be gained from a perusal of the balancesheets of some of the dairy companies. For instance, one reads that the milk account last season of the Kaupokonui Co-operative Dairy Company (about 12 miles from Hawera) ran. into £68,568 lis.. 2d., but Joll's Co-operative Factories topped.this amount by thousands of pounds, and they- milk account item for the last year was £30,283 18s. 7d. They also sold cheese to the value of £05,246 3s. 7d., and butter to the value of £13,861 os. 7d., or a total of £109,107 4s. 2d.

The .Hawera Company last season paid over £42,000 for milk, and sold nearly £50,000 worth 0f... cheesc and £4784 worth of butter.

lliverdale, which is said to possesri the largest dairy factory under one roof in the world, had a milk account of 'About £32,686, and sold £36,000 worth of cheese. Mangatoki paid £-10,682 for milk, from which the company sold butter to the value of £02,230.

■ It is estimated that during the season the llawera Dairy Company manufactured cheese to the value of £33,600 per month, while for .'the close three months the dual factories turn out fully £6000 of butter per month. There are dairy factories and creameries everywhere in South Taranaki. Somebody has said that "you will find them at every crossroad." In the Okaiawa, in the vicinity of Manaia, Joll's Co-operative Company runs seven cheese factories, which turn out yearly thousands of tons of cheese. Then, coming into town, are the gigantic companies of Kaupokonui and Riverdale, and also Otakeho. Coming nearer, within a few miles of Hawera, are tho Hawera Company's dual lactones, Waihi, Tawhiti,- Wharoroa, Tokaora, and Fraser.Jßoad, with suppliers totalling 110. At Norman'by there is a butter factory with 44 suppliers which has manufactured 170 tons of butter this season.

Eastward, not more than nine miles away, are Meremere, Curlos's Proprietary, Mokoia, Whokamoa, and Ararata, with a--total number of about 80 suppliers. all doing well. In the Meremero district also is the Melrose Proprietary Factory, .which this season has turned nut IMb talis of butter—Hie pioduco of 14 suppliers' herds, and Molls (29 suppliers, another very fine factory) has this season turned out 132 toils of butter. The Ararata, which is a branch of tho Normanb.v Butter Factory, has this season turned out tons of choose, valued at about £5600. Another late factory is that- at Alton, and there arc to be still more new factories. The above list does not include factories in the Eltlram, Patea, or Stratford districts.

JLr. H. A. Jenkins, house furnisher., Union Street, Hawcra, whose advertisement appears in this issue, has been in' business in the town for the past eighteen years. The business premises awl factories arc large and well fitted, tho machinery is of the most modern kind and the quality of material and workmanship is one of the standards ot" the business. Jlr. Jenkins deals in all house furnishings, and is also agent for tlii; Lundon and Berlin Piano' Company.

Tho business of Mr. J. Hopkirk, blacksmith, iron, brass, and aluminium founder, and engineer, is of a very extensive nature, and in a special degree shows tho importance of the district as a dairy industrial centre. Tho castful stroller has only to invade Mr. - Hopkirk's splendidly-appointed factory, and view the work which is being done there in connection with labour-saving appliances for the dairy farmer,' and lie will' thcn obtain a very fair idea of the magnitude of the industry in tile liawera district. It is in no little sense creditable to Mr. Hopkirk, and in no small way appreciated by farmers, that ho lias - taken upon his shoulder's the task of establisliing such a completS manufactory right 111' their midst, and that their requirements in all pertaining to engineering, iron, brass/ and aluminium work, may bo attended to at the shortest "notice by the principal and his organised and efficient staff.

Mr. Kopk:rk's present factory and shops cover about, a quarter of im acre of land: The business was established some eight years ago and, since that time, it has slowly but steadily increased—not easily, as Mr. Hopkirk himself admits, but gradually, as a result of continuous application. The frontage of the premises is about 90 feet, while the depth ranges from 66 feet to 78 feet. Business in the shops at present is remarkably brisk, and is likely to remain so to the end of the year. Orders .for dairy machinery are coming > along thickly and arc executed with dispatch. Every machine and every hand is in requisition,-and theris, is an air of bustle everywhere. .Some idea of the size of the premises may bo gained by the following particulars:— The fitting shop, 46 feet by 42 feet, runs five lathes. It also possesses . a planing machine capable of planing work 7 feet by 2 feet 6 incites, a shoping machine, power-saving machine, screwing machine, emery grinders, and two drilling machines. Twelve hands are employed in this department. Tho moulding shop, situated at the rear-of the fitting shop, is a spacious compartment, 24 feet by 32 feet. This department lias in tho necessary appliances, including a cupula for melting iron and a .brass furnace. Attached is a drying store, also complete in every detail. The pattern shop which adjoins the.moulding shop measures 27 feet by 22 feet. It is fitted with a band saw and turning lathe. The finishing shop, also 27 feet by 22 feet, explains itself, and here are seen so many different jobs in hand that even enumeration is difficult. Close by is the blacksmith's shop, 66 feet by 25 feet. The three forges hero arc controlled by electric fan power, while the up-to-date power hammer, and the punching and shearing machine is also controlled by electricity. In the storeroom are assortments of engineering supplies so necessary to such an important business. Mr. Hopkirk does a largo .amount of manufacturing in connection with his vacuum pumps, two sizes which are utilised for milking machinc purposes in all parts of tho North Island. Large numbers of them have been sent out with the Simplex and Gane milking ma'chifles, ami have given every satisfaction. In addition, Mr. Hopkirk does all tho manufacturing work for the Gane milking machine pulsators, releasers, and teat caps also for the Simplex . milker. The castings are especially well done, and the whole work, including that of aluminium, is characterised by a nice finish. Other work turned out is the Hutchinson hydraulic pump, twenty of which ure ju'sc being turned out on order.

The pulsating valves having only two wearing parts, cannot get-out of order. The top of the bucket has only the rubber connections attached to it; no cumbersome machinery to carry about the slied. The lid of the bucket lias a baffle plato, which' is removable for cleaning, and is placed in front of milk taps. This prevents the spray being drawn up the main vacuum tube into the pipes overhead, thus preventing the contamination of the milk—a defect so troublesome in most machines in vogue. Tho teat cups are the inventor's own idea, having practically no bottoms (that is the inflations) thus makiii" them easy to clean. The vacuum tank has a removable lid and a tap in the bottom. It is as easy to wash out as a milk-can.' The vacuum pump is made by Mr. J. Hopkirk, of Hawora, and is undoubtedly the best pump supplied with any milking plant. It is easy to rim, and tho wearing parts can he reDlaced at the cost of a few pence.