PRIZE SHOW ESSAY

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 3 February 1921, Page 3

PRIZE SHOW ESSAY

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY,

The following excellent essay, by Master K. Meinhold (Standard 5), was awarded first prize at the show : —•

In the olden days, dairy farming was not very prominent in New Zealand. Butter did not fetch, a very high price, so that farmers were not encouraged to settle in the country. They did not skim their milk by the aid of a separator, but had to do it by hand. Owing to this, the cream was not very pure. Before butter factories were introduced into New Zealand, the process of making butter was very tedious. It was made by stirring, with a wooden ladle, the cream round and round in a bucket. This was then pressed to extract the butter-fat. The farmers gave their butter to the storekeeper in exchange for various articles. The butter was not very nice, as it was usually in a rancid state.

The first butter factories were erected in the province of Taranaki, and were owned by private companies. The farmers were encouraged to bring their milk to the factories, where it was skimmed and made into butter. The skim milk was taken home and given to the pigs and calves. These private companies soon became very prosperous. The farmers were paid a very small amount for their butter-fat, while the'factory owners sold it for a much larger amount. In those days it was something to talk about if your butter-fat fetched a shilling a pound. The farmers did not become very prosperous until the erection of co-operative butter factories. These factories were run very differently from the others. Every farmer who sent his milk to the butter factory was a shareholder.

Not very long after this, another invention was introduced into the country ; this was the separator. Now the farmers had only to bring their cream to the factory, as the separator separated their cream into one pan and the skimmed milk into another. They also began to take more interest in their profession and sought good cattle. The farm-yards and pig-styes were kept more cleanly than formerly, while the cream pans were washed and scoured after every milking and separating. Inspectors were sent round the country too, so the country bej gan to prosper at last. To make j sure that the butter would be pure and clean, the cream was pasteurised, or sweetened, as it !is at the present day. This is done by heating the cream and then suddenly cooling it, thus killing all the harmful germs. Later on the milking machine was brought into the country. These machines saved a good deal of time and expense. They at first hurt the cows' teat*, but are not so bad now. The milking machine does not strip the cows dry, this has to be done by hand, or else the machine might do some injury to the interior of the cow. .At the present time the dairyi ing industry of New Zealand is almost upon the highest possible footing, while it brings millions of pounds to the country. Most of New Zealand's wealth is derived from some branch of farming. In time to come New Zealand will be the greatest j dairying country in the world.

The second prize essay, by Master Gordon Smith (Standard! 6), is also a well constructed effort: —■ In the olden days dairy farming was not an industry of much importance becauso the farmer was hardly repaid for his toil. The working conditions of the farmer were poor and very often his farm consisted of poor soil on which grass did not grow plentifully. Manures, too, were not used very extensively. The cows being fed on poor grass land, did not yield much milk. This milk too, was not always of the best quality. The milk was hand skimmed causing much of the cream to be lost. It therefore took some time before enough oream was scraped together to make butter. By the time the cream was ready the oldest part of the cream was not very fresh. From this bad cream butter was made and very often it was unfit for human consumption. The farmer sold his butter to the local, storekeeper, from whom he received a small sum of money or goqds. to the value of the Uuttei\ The butter was | §old by the local storekeeper to j the people .for an unreasonable ! price-., .;■.„ ■■-;'.:.'■ lAt last factories were erected, an,d tho fartqers vfer-e to ta.ke thejr rn.il!s ta the factory

where it was separated. The skim milk was given back to the farmer for his calves and pigs. These factories were, owned by private people. From the time of the erection of factories the farmer began to prosper. He chose better breeds of cattle such as the Jersey, Holstein, Friesian, Aryshire. The Jersey does not yield much milk but the milk contains a good deal of butterfat. The farmers were soon able to send to town for their supplies, where they were able to obtain them more cheaply.

Sometime after the erection of factories the home-separator was introduced. This was a great boon to the farmers for they were now able to separate their own milk. They could take enough cream to make butter for themselves out of the separated cream and then send the rest to the factory, where they received a good price for it. Good butter was obtained from the factories and the people were glad of it.

Another invention that has been of much use to Che farmer is the milking machine. This milking machine is found to be very useful to farmers who have very large herds of cattle, for the milking can be done in less than a quarter of the time it would take by hand. A four cow-plant is able to milk four cows at a time. The cows are not milked right out and after the cups are taken off the milker has to go round and strip the cows out. The milk is drawn out of the teats by air being pumped into the cups causing the rubber to contract end expand.

The farmers of to-day are mostly very wealthy. Dairy farming now forms the most important industry in New Zealand. Owing to the shortage of butter throughout the world the*present price in New Zealand is 2s 4d per pound.