THE HELENSVILLE SHOW.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 15 February 1917, Page 3

THE HELENSVILLE SHOW.

PRIZE ESSAYS

THE following essays on " The dairying Industry in < New Zealand," were awarded the first and second prize respectively at the Helensville A. and P. Show on 29th January :—

The mild climate of our land is an advantage which we possess over other countries such as Holland and England where cattle are housed and artificially fed during the winter. Here we can grow good English grasses (which cannot be successfully done in Australia), and have a good water supply, so that the outlook for dairying in New Zealand is very encouraging. About thirty years ago we had no refrigeration, so that we could not freeze butter to export to England.- As a consequence the dairy industry did not receive much encouragement at first except for our own use. When we first exported butter and cheese the value we received amounted to about one quarter of a million sterling, but now we receive for it about three million pounds. Now that New Zealand has gone in largely for dairying our country is more prosperous, the land has been cut up into smaller sections realising high prices, the land has been cultivated more and more, and the beneficial effect is obvious. Owing to the use of pure-bred bulls, herd-test-ing, the growing of catch-crops and lucerne, and State experimental farms, the herds of the farmer have greatly improved. The most suitable lands for dairying are rich low-lying flats near streams, with ample shelter. If the suitable land -is fairly extensive it is more profitable as larger factories can be erected and ,the cost of making butter lessened. If the dairy industry keeps on developing as. rapidly as it has been doingin the past few years, New Zealand ought to be able to take her place among the wealthy countries of the world, and it seems as if she were already on the road to prosperity. R. Boucher, Woodhill School.

In the olden days dairying was not such a profitable industry as it is to-day. The reason for this was because they did not have the conveniences that the dairy farmer has nowadays. The farmer of those days had to set the milk in pans for twenty-four hours. After this period of time the cream was skimmed off the top of the milk. When ' the farmer, had enough cream he made it into butter. The roads were often very muddy, thus delaying the farmer in taking his butter to the shop to be sold. This being the case the butter often went bad, and the farmer lost a large amount of money, in this way, for it occurred very often.

A number of years ago creameries and butter factories were established. This was , a great help to the dairy farmers because all they bad t,o do 'was to'take the cream to the factory or creamery. They were given a certain .price for their cream and they did not have to make the butter. Sometimes a waggon was sent i-ound hy the factory to collect the cream from the various farm, This paid the farmers better than it had in the olden days.

Not many years ago separators were invented. This was still a better help for the farmers because they did.not have to set their mlk over-night. They take the cream to the factory where a small p.ortio,n-of it is tested tofin'd out'the percentage of butter fat contained in the cream. They are then paid according to the amount of butter-fat contained in the cream, The use of separators makes dairy farming a much more profitable industry, as the farmers do not have to take the cream to the factory and then home again. Lucy Carletoi?, ' Helensvilie School.