PUKEKOHE BUTTER FACTORY

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 521, 9 April 1920, Page 3

PUKEKOHE BUTTER FACTORY

WtMtNQ WIDE DISTRICT. EFFICIENT CONCERN. GREAT WEALTH PRODUCER. From one end of the North Islanc to the othw, Pukekohe is noted foj Its potato growing, and it is gener Ally recognised that the high price: commanded Jor the land was on account of Its Climatic and productive qualities. That is so but it is not all Pukekohe and district land is capable of. It is also the centre of a vast daiitying district, and situated 1 about a mile and a-quarter from the town, on the Waiuku Road, is one of the largest butter factories in the province, if not in the whole Dominion. Residents of Pukekohe Borough know there is a factoity in the neighbourhood, on account of the fact that three times a'day the factory whistle sounds. They have heard of the factory,' and perhaps have soon the building, which Is of large dimensions, but little or nothing <9 known of the contents of the building, or the output of butter the machinery is capable of. Realising this, and in order to give our readers a rough idea of what goes on at this huge conecrti, a "Times" reporter sought an interview with the chief officials of the factory. For many vearsthe factory was run under the baton of the New Zealand Dairy Association, but since the amalgamation of the Dairy Association end the Waikato Co-opetlative Dairy and Cheese Companies,, it has been guided by the flag of the mighty New Zealand Dairy Company. Since the amalgamation of the concerns, and until quite recently. Mr. A. M. Stirling officiated as manager, but upon his retirement, Mr. J. G. Ward, who was formerly manager for the Rata Co-ooerative Dairy Company, assum- j ed the reins of control, and now has the running of the factory under hjAj jurisdiction. When the pressman vfl ited the factory he was shown oveP the building by the foreman, Mr. Thos. Walker. Tfce Plaat, The flrst of the plant shown was that housed in the room known as the butter room. Therein were four combined churns and butter woikers, of the Victoria-Silkeborg type, each with a capacity of over a ton for each churning.' Situated near by was a compressed air pounding machine, which ja capable of turning out about 30 boxes of butter per hour. The slow process of hand packing is aUnJaated by the addition of a butThis modern

The Ant of the plant shown was that housed in the room known as the butter room. Therein were four combined churns and butter woikers, of tiie Victoria-Silkeborg type, each with a capacity of over a ton for each churning. Situated near by was a compressed air pounding machine, which is capable of turning out about 30 boxes of butter per hour. The alow process of hand packing is eUmjaated by the addition of a but- * contrivance. This modern machine was described as the Topliss double-packer, because it packs two boxes of butter at a time, and •put from this is capable of keeping itx men fully occupied while the pack(hg lM> ls in. compartment mKms - * double pastuenser plant. The pastuerfeers nre Of the Sabroe and Silkebfjrg Resign, the former having a capacity of lsoe gallons of cream per Ikh>'\ and the letter 2000. Apart f i!om the double \ pastuerisers, there is installed a regenerative system, a description of which would be too technical for the general reader. Under the same roof was. a double cream cooler, capable of cooling 3000 gallons of cream per hour. j? In the pftstuerising room there are two Harvey coolers, each capable of cooling 1500 gallons of cream per hour. • • „r \ Aeeeivieg Vets. There are two heavy tinned-copper receiving *r neutralisihg vats, eacl. of 600 gallons." . latter Mem. Apart from the huge chums and packing machine are five Hardley's direct expansion vats, with a lOOugal capacity each. -"WThe Cream StagW Adjoining \the above Compartments, for convenience, is a largo cream stage. It ia here that the staff deals with the cream of over 400 separator cream suppliers, who convey their cream direct to the factoiy .for butter manufacturing purposes. It is at tMs stage that an idea can be formed #( the vastness of the dairying in and around the immedfote gefchbourhood of Pukekohe, as thi»e 100 home separator cteam suppliers hsJl from the surrounding districts. Thi bulk of the cream supplied to the factory is received fnom creameries which i»re really depots .at which the faetofy's waggons call. Cream i* received from Pukekohe,! Pukekohe Hill, Bombay. Puni Ramanama. Pai*kura, Hunua. Manurewa. Drury, Papu-! toetoe, Buckland, Paerata. Mauku Pa turn shoe and Waiau Pa. There is %lso a depot at an Atoldand wharl where cream is received. As a matter of fact, it is received from all districts north of JiufikJand, except ing Waiuku and Cleveflon, where the company has factories of its own. Whey Oream, What could be termed a side-line at the factory is whey butter whik is manufactured from whey croaM received from *ll cheese factories uTf. der the jurisdiction of the company the output bf Which averages about three or four tons a week. IhMi Scale,

On the receiving stage is a Sinus scale capable of weighing 3001bs at a time; Thil scale has an attached dial, which subtracts the tare of the cream cans from the gross weight, and automatically leaves the nett weight of the cream. Engine-Room.

An advance was made to the en gine-room, where there is installed t 140 horse-power, Marshall Cross compound engine, with drophead valves and fitted with an injecto condensor. The engine is fitted with Bft 6in fly-wheel, cast in two parts, with nine grooves for the purpos of a rope drive, which is used instead of the usual belt drive. The engine room is woiked in two shifts between Drivers E. A. McCormick and G. Pulham.

Fretting Plant

Undor the same roof as the bit* engine which drives the bulk of the plant there is a Lindi double-acting freezer with a capacity of 15 tons. Electric Light. The whole of the structure is fitted with electric light, the electricity f being obtained fiwm a dynamo driven by ft separate 4&.p Tangye engine. Adjoiningengine-room are two mulWtubulir boilers, each capable of a uressure of 1201bs to the square inch.

Atmospheric Coudeiiiori.

the outer portion of the buildis fitted atmospheilc condensois, "Pcessary in such a factory. There •n-e two sets each 336 ft in length, and three sets each 1000 ft long. Water Supply.

An adequate water supply is obtained from wells under the facto,y, and from springs o« the property. There are two lOOOgal. chilling tai.ks, one 2700ga1. chilling tank, and four iOOsai. ordinary water tanks. Separate from the wells, situated under the building, is a well on the pro Mrty some distance away from the building itself, and thereto is fitted a rotary valveless pump capable of pumping 24,000 gallons of water per hour.

Brine Tanks There aile three brine tanks installed for the purpose of cooling the cream. One has a capacity of 1000 gallons, and the other two a capacity of 500 gallons each pei hoar. ' Testing Room, The tesing room is fitted wivh two Babcock machines, each with a capacity of 24 bottles each. The foreman pointed out that during the season almost exhausted, a large number of suppliers took advantage of herd tesing, which is absolutely essential to aH dairymen. There is not the slightest doubt that in many herds theije are numbers of inferior cows, and the only way nowadays to make a success of the occupation is to cull out the inferior stock. Invaluable assistance can be given with the facilities afforded at the factory. The question of herd testing is vit-. ally important, and a matter that is strongly uecommended by the factory officials. The company has representatives visiting farmers instructing and assisting them to improve the quality of their cream. In the event of a supplier supplying inferior cream, the representative is sent out to investigate the cause, and to instruct the dairyman the manner in which to make an improvement. This work is done in this district by Mr. jv]. Shaw. Milk Supplier*. There are 17 daily milk suppliers and during 10 days in the flush of the season they supplied 9000 gallons of milk. The milk is separated by two Perfect dh<ect driven separators, each with a 500 gal capacity per hour. They are driven by a Tangye engine. Chilling Chambers, There are three large chilling chambers capable of storing man; thousands of boxes of butter. The Staff. During the flush of the season there is a staff of 34. The principals of each depaitment are: Mr. J. O Ward (manager), Mr. Thos Walker (foreman), Mr. C. Neilsen (engineer), Mr. J. L. Reay (cream leader), Mr. W. Dawe (buttermaker). Mr. V. Mor,i(is (pastueriser), Mr. W. McDivitt (packing) and Mr. A. .1. Lloyd (tester).

The Output. During the 1918-1919 season the output was 1580 tons of butter, but during the 1919-1920 season a slight decrease was recorded. This was tlue to the fact of the amalgamation and reorganisation of the supply, dwelling suppliers to other sources. Ihe Tuakau factory took a fair share of the cream usually supplied at the factory. The output at the present tirrw is five and three-quarter tons per day, which is slightly in excess of the manufacture for- the corresponding period of last year. The increase is attributable to the very favourable autumn, and the fact of the supply keeping up. The quality in the cream and the manufacture has held its own as compared with nrevious seasons. The interior of the building presents a spic and spun appea.ar.ee, due to the efficient staff. The stiucture has been in existence well over 30 years, and from what was sften the time is rapidly approach : n<! when some enlargements, or a new building, will have to be conside ed The accommodation to work with comfort is totally inadequate. '1 he high cost of materials and the seal city of labour, building at the pre sent time ia absolutely out of th< | question. No doubt when conditions I regain a normal state, the director will seriously consider the erectioi of an elaborate butter factory fo Pukekohe, with all modern ma chinery.