VICTORIAN DAIRYING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1821, 6 August 1913, Page 10

VICTORIAN DAIRYING.

"■TALK ON METHODS AND PKICES,

In conversation with a New Zealand business man, who. lws sjient the last three J.yeors in Victoria, in connection with tho sale of daily appliances, a Dominion reporter- inquired how the methods of condiuoting the dairying binsinoss Compared in.tho two countries; also how the variation in prices between the manufactured prbduot was accounted for. -The reply given was tlvat tho customs in voguo in tho two. places were of 6uch a dilleront "riaturo that unless a person was {familiar with every detail in connection with production and;marketing, nothing beyond a general summary could be given. In Tiotona 'practically 'all, the dairy factories confined their'operation's to butter making. A -little cheese was made, but the manufacturer waa entirely in the hands of - individual, farmers.; .-Nono-of. the Victorian .factories bad-ddal-plants,;-such.id» were to be found in tho dairying districts of tho Dominion. Again, home-separation jvas-practically "universal in the Australian State.'-The chief reasons for the superiority of New Zealand srices for butter were to bo'fomnd iii the different systems of grading. Tho New Zealand artiolo was oxpprtrd tinder supervision of the Government nnd graded according to quality. In Victoria,_ where there was no compulsory .grading of butter, buyers.had not I'hol same confidence 'in the'-article,, not-, withstanding tho fact that many of -the makers turned out very choice butters. The Victorian system, of determining, quality was to grade every can of cream ■ (13 it reached the factory, and churn each grade separately, but, owing to keen opposition. between different companies for supplies, oream of- doubtful quality was often accepted rathcav than lose a supplier's support. Another' drawback that the Victorian had to contend against-was tho lack of a supply of pure and cool water in the factory. The only watw available was surface-or rain wati-T, large ciiiantities of which had to bo conserved in storage tanks, \\ j lioto it became heated. In the summer it was found neoe3sa.ry to run this tank water over the refrigerator coils to -secure tho right temperatee. In consequence of this drawback, a greater difficulty was experienced in turning out a uniformly higli grade article throughout the year. With regard to home separation and machine milking, tho visitor said that while many of the smaller farms did not use. the mechanical milker -as yet, thoir use was rapidly extending, but very few overhead plants were being installed. It vvas 1 the opinion oi dairy people in Victoria that a great many of tho complaints, against quality had their origin, not so intwh in the actual - milking apparatus, ■ as in tho labour-saving, attachments that convey the milk to the receiving vats. In . Victoria ii.good staff of instructors, who combined tho work of stoclf and dairy inspection, was continually amongst tho farmers, and these inspectors wero instrumental in correcting many irregularities. • • •

- Regarding actual farm l work, it was mentioned that, generally speaking, the Victorian dairy farmer was not as efficient as tho New Zealander. The Australian had no severe winters, nnd the average price of land being nntch lower there, he rolled upon areas rather tlnn iuten-iive methods, for 'his ret urns. Except in the Western' Districts, where high l.aild values prevail, no supplementary .fodders to speak of werp-cultivated. iii .the, off-milking period large areas of t«cond-class land are available at from •£3 to JUG per acre for wintering purposes; therefore, tlis necessity for providing anything besides 'pasture grass had not become so pressing ns in New Zealand. It was admitted that an extra siipply nf feed at certain periods would pay. In the, Western Districts, wliore land was wortlvas much as .£BO nil acre, large quantities of maize were grown to perfection and fed to the cows. in that locality the milking operations were car, ried oil all the year round, die milk being disposed of in its whole state to manufacturers of preserved and dried milk.'. There were, snid our informant, some splendid Jerseys, Ayrshires, and ll.'lsteilis'ih those parts," and as much is l'2'l per head was earned by some of the best herds. Against this had to )>o deducted tin- -loss of revenue from skim milk fer rearing calves and pigs.