Dairying

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 September 1911, Page 4

Dairying

SOME HINTS FOR THE DAIRYMAN. In responding to tho toast of "The Dairying Industry" at the Bongotea banquet on Friday, Mr F. B. Grcvillc, editor of the New Zealand Dairyman, in a characteristic vigorous speech, made somo pertinent renvarks on dairying. He said he had 'been much disturbed in 'his mind over the conundrum whether the new factory was the best in . New Zealand or* not. He bad. put the question to one of the leading authorities of New Zealand, who said it was at least one of the best. There was a question w'hieh be wanted to put to the dairymen of Rongotea— had they lost more, money in the manufacture of butter before they installed the freezer or afterwards? When lie first came to Rongotea, he hacl been iborrified to seo tlie way they were trying to make butter without a. freezer, land when 'he had come along some time afterwards he was horrified to see the way in which they were making the butter with a freezer. (Laugliter.) However, he. did not think they could have a factory and appointments better than they now kid. He had n-.\d 21 years' connection with tlie industry, and he Temembercd many years ago when Parliament set up a Commission to inquire into the dairy, flax and wine industries. The butter produced at the time was not very good. He was on the staff of the* New Zealand Times then, and tlie editor used to say to members of the Parliamentary Commission, that he had 1 on llris staff a man who knew more about the dairy industry than the whole of them. "Why don't you 'bring him along, then?" he was asked, and the consequence was the speaker was sent along. He had, as reader on the paper, had the advantage of reading everything the other witnesses had said to the Commission. When lie went before tlie Commission he was astonished at the ignorance of the members on dairying matters. They did not know whether freezing injured butter or not. He used to wonder in those days what New Zealand would be like when she exported one million pounds' worth of dairy produce. Now she exported three million pounds' worth- There was one fact which he- wished to impress on the .people .of Bongotea, who no doubt thought their dairying land was high-priced. Whilst the prices of all other farm products had steadily decreased during the last 50 years, the price of dairy products had) increased. That was the reason for the high price of dairying land. Fifteen years ago the dairymen were getting per lb for their butter-fat. Now they were getting Is. But the main factor in the industry was always overlooked. He ibad asked a big man in. the dairying industry what was the most important question in dairying, and he had replied ho did not know. Mr Greville was pretty sure no one in Bongotea could tell him either. The •/nost important matter was the economic production of butter-fat. If the butter-fat was costing them 9d per lb. to produce, they should aim at producing it for 6d. The questions of the right cows and the right fodders were the important ones. He wanted to put this question to the daily farmers: If a ton of bran was worth £5 as feed for a cow, what was a ton of lucerne worth ? Again he expressed! the opinion that none of Ibis hearers knew. Jle had been asked if he did not think the urice oi land was getting too high in Taranaki, and he said certainly not. He knew a dairyman in Taranaki who ■milked 24 eows on 32 acres, wh'o had received £360 in cash from the factory for his year's butter-fat. If thev allowed! two-fifths for labour— which was a fair proportion — the balance would pay interest at tUie rate of 5 per cent, on the .land valued at £150.per acre. Mr Greville then said be had to stop, not because he had no .more to say. but •because he had to oatoh a. train. He vras londHy applauded for his speech.