TARANAKI DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1402, 30 March 1912, Page 14

TARANAKI DAIRY INDUSTRY.

A HISTORIC BORE,

REMARKABLE PROGRESS.

SOiE INTERESTING FIGURES.

Taranaki has rery rightly been named (ho land of bnttcrfat, and year by year it lays greater claim to the title, dairying is the principal industry of Taranaki, and under the co-operative system which htt3 arrived almost at a pitch of perfection, not often achieved in a farming community, the results are most striking. As a matter of fact, Taranaki is responsible for over a quarter of the butter made in New Zealand, and for twofifths of the cheese. These aro startling figures. For the year ending March 31, 1911, there were, roughly, sixty-one million pounds of butter manufactured in the- Dominion, and of'this quantity nearly sixteen and n half million pounds were made in Taranaki. Tho cheeso figures are even more striking. In the period under review, there were- fifty-four mil-

lion pounds of cheese made in this country, or' which twentv-hvo million pounds wore turned out of f fie Taranaki factories. Year by year Taranaki increases its dairy output," aided by the bonelicent rajns, scientific breeding', intends cultivation, and treatment of the pastures, and last, but not least, hard slogging on the part of the dairy farmer and his industrious family. The .rear secret .of the success of the Tavan'nki dairy farmer,'however, has been co-operation, which enables him to receive almost the full benefit of his labours. The never-failing •' monthly cheque, based on the butterfat return, is a wonderful incentive for .any man, and to any dairy fanner it presents possibly the strongest, appeal. It is only

twcnty-fivo years ago since the Taranaki dairy farmer was forced to sell his butter at fourpence per pound, and even then, in the language of the time, had to take it out with the equally' unhappy storekeeper, whose innumerable 'blends of the various mixtures' were an ever-recurring nightmare to himself and the merchants. The system of co-operative factories, Government grading, and a knowledge of the value of wholesome milk and its conditions, has swept away entirely the bush barbarism of the early 'eighties, but even now each succeeding season brings new and more effective reformations, with pro-

fitablo markets also, and a gradual rise in the price of land. There is now a pronounced movement in Taranaki for further subdivision of dairy farms, anil even now I hero are very few dairy farms alone in Taranaki running over 2(10 acres. Tho general idea is something ranging from .10 to 10U acres, but there is no doubt that even small acreages cost a deal of money. A. surprising ieaturo of Ihe Taranaki dairv industry to-day is the triumph of cheesv, as an article for manufacture. The reason is not far to seek, as owing to the great prico'which. it is now maintaining, on the liondon market, tho financial results are fall in favour of cheese. Just now cheeso means thirty-six shillings per cow per annum move" to (ho Tarannki dairy farmer than does butter, and the great cheeso concerns like Kaupokonui, Joll's, Hawcra, Knponga, Kiverda'.e, and others aro making the most of their

opportunity with their dual plants. Now they have very little time for butter. It is interesting to turn to the figures of five years ago, when there were in Tirnnaki 77 butter and 13 cheese factories producing approximately .7250 tons of butter and 413 tons of cheese, an abrogate, by the .way,. equal to about oncthivd of the ,-v.;li.olfv Dominion. Onc*vct*f'.vV ed the thousand-ton butter margin. Today butter factories are still numerically in'the majority, with 135 against 55 of cheese, but in point of quantity el eesc beats its rival by over 2500 tons. Neither last year" nor this season has a Taranaki butter factory reached

the thousand-ton mark of quantity, Eltham, the highest, totalling 871 tons, followed by Stratford-with 59S tins, and Sfidhirst 575 tons. On the other hand', the great Kaupokonui, the largest dairy concern of its kind in the world, with the largest dairy building in the world, tops the 2000-ton mark for cheese, aud: obly supported by Joll's Company 1710 tons, and Hawera 122G tons. The outputs of the various butter and cheese factories, with the small armies of the suppliers, are appended, and well worth perusal by those interested in what is gradu-

Flrst petroleum well sunk in New Zealand, called the Alpha bore, and put down in 1830 by Messrs. J. F. Carter, J.' B. Scott, J, Smiil), and Ross. The motive power was a spring pole, which may he scon crossing one of tho lower braces of the derrick. Previously the pioneers had sunk down 60ft. with picks and shovels, and hero thick oil was struck and of a brownish colour. On the second brace of tho derrick was tho legend, "To oil or London," conveying a desperately persevering spirit of the originators, IY. A. Coliii Photo, NiP,

ally becoming Now Zealand's national industry:— Taranaki Cheeso Output for The year ended March 31, 1911. Number of Factory. suppliers. Trns. Kaupokonui 191 21(2 .foil's Co-op. Co 183 1710 Hawcra 122 1220 Kaponga 85 7GO liiverdalo .' 50 " 510 Xgaere 09 478 . Low-garth 33 350 Alton 20 321 Awatuna , 01 393 Oaonui 03 305 Cape Kgmont 39 272 Manutahi 10 250 Tariki 41 227 Kakaramca 27 . 150 Melrose 12 Vlo W'area 38 129 Arnwata 13 131 Cardiff 3S 107 Jinhotn 40 ' 85 Whitccliffs 7 75 Huiroa S ~ 37 Kioro 2 33 Koval Oak' .'..'. IS . • 25 ■ ■Kuku 12 21 Fnssifern 4- -...■.•13 Whaka ; , 7 :10 Durham .". 1 5 Simtris ~.. ,;;.,. 1 2J i - Total '.....v...;.... 9549J Taranaki Butter Factories' Output for the year cuded March .31, 1011. Numberof •'. Facto.rv.. .suppliers. -Tons: Eltluim ,'....'.. 210 871 Stratford : '220 598. Midhirst 211 575 • Mangatoki 38 517 Moa : .1 IGO 305 Mangorei 157 353 l'ihania '„.'. 07 323 Opiinako- ;. 70 23G Okaiuwn 185 230 Okalo 58 180 Normnnby' : 38 175. North Taranaki 53 175 Bell Block : 05 160 Mells 38 . 150 Kiverdale 50 150 North Taranaki ..'. lIS 141 Kaponga 85 145 Tikorangi 53 135 Mnketawa 51 138 Waitara 57 130 Cardiff .'. - . 105 Mere Mere '„■...;.! ...10 •'■ li)G•.. Oakura r 47 '•, 108 liahotu ,;.;....;;....'.';:;;.:' 40 ' •■, »s>, Awatuna —, 81 Brooklands ..,....-. 1 5 . Gape Egroont .:.'.'.' — • .10 Cardiff ,:.....:;.v....;; :.;.'.- - ■ -103'• Frankley Road H 25 Hampton 1 5 llawera — 18 Huinknmn 19 31} Kakaramea 27 70 Kaupokonui 4fi 61 Leppertou ..; ' : .-38-' : ; .72'' Makahu 9 •'.215 Oaonui '. :.. G8 ", : 60 Okoia 40 BGfc Omata - 40 70 Puniwhakau 10 30 Seacliffs — ' • 6 Stony Kiver — 7J Tnraia 18 38 Tariki — 5 Tarurutangi 15 30i Ilrnia 20 50 Waiau - 10 'Mai 7337J