LOCAL ENTERPRISE

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 565, 10 September 1920, Page 1

LOCAL ENTERPRISE

BONEDUST MILL ERECTED.

What should prove a valuable asset to Pukekohe and district—a bone--dust mill—has just been ierected by Messrs. Beatty and Marshall, butchers, PukekoheFor some considerable time past the farming community has been aware of the acute shortage of manures, and the enormous prices charged for these farming necessities, On top of both these facts, the quality of the manure has not been up to the standard the farmer would have liked it to be, and the intimation that a bonedust-mill has been erected in the midst of a large farming community will no doubt be gladly welcomed by the local farmers. Something of the kind was badly needed here, and it was a wonder some enterprising businessman had not solved the problem ere this. Hundreds of pounds have been lost to the neighbourhood"' through the fact that cattle, when they succumb, having to be skinned, and the carcasses buried to rot- away. That these carcasses are valuable there is 110 question, and from this on, instead of money, as it were, being wasted, the carcase can be utilised for making tallow, blood manures, and bonedust. The mill is situated on Messrs. Beatty and Marshall's 200-acve farm about* one and a-half miles from the Pukekohe post office. A "Times" reporter, by courtesy of Mr. J. Beatty, was shown over the premises 'a day or two ago. The pressman was first of al.l shown the antique methods adopted in rendering down the tallow by means of two large coppers. By this process considerable quantities are wasted, and the result not at all satisfactory to the producers. To come into line with the times the firm decided to launch out on an enlarged scale, and one for the benefit of the district. The building housing the modern machinery is a fairly large one, and was erected with a view of enlarging in case business. warrants such extensions. Tt is eon- j structed of corrugated iron with con- \ crete foundations. Considerable excavation work was necessary to have | the structure low enough t» allow of a cart or any other vehicle car-1 rying a beast's carcase, to be hacked j into the receiving depot to that i!;e bottom of the cart could be level with the floor of the receiving depot, thus obviating any unnecessary lifting. The carcase is cut up and put into a digester, where the boil-ing-down process takc-9 place. The digester contains a steam boiler, and the carcase is boiled down by means of eteam obtained from a 6 h.p. Tflngye boiler, with a pressure of 1001b to the squars inch, The digester has a holding capacity of three large beasts. By this process absolutely nothing is wasted and the carcase is boiled down very rapidly. The rendered fat, or tallow, is then blown off by steam into a refiner, where it goes through its final stages, and is then run off into barrels. By the inclusion of the refiner only one grade of tallow is obtained throughout each barrel. The bones, meat, and other rubbish are then extracted from the digester through a door at the bottom, and are laid to dry in an adjoining room 30ft by 15ft. When the remains are thoroughly dry. they are gathered up -3Tid arc; then put through the bone-crusher, which j gives ihe ilnhhed : pure blood i and hone manure. J.. mill L'apj able ni' producing 10 ' - of boneI dusr ;.ii •' . rusher is ; i>: '.. .i-utiven h.p. Tan- ■ l canine r> 1:■ (k. .. t leature ! ahr .« 11,. 1..:!! 1■ 1 h.-i i: 1 erected 1", : . !!■. .:.:(t-[.n-. :.rai farmers purchasing irom ine n*.i can rest assured they will get the genuine article. The "flooring throughout is of concrete. The mill was officially opened on Saturday evening last, when there were about 60 persons present, including farmer representatives from all over the district.

Mr. Frank Perkins opened the mill

and congratulated Messrs. Beatty and Marshall on their far-sightedness. Steam was obtained and Mr. das. Kennelly had the honour of putting through tlv> first hone which was ground up. On account of an oversight the

li Times" was not informed that the official opening was to take place, and we fire, therefore, unable to describe the function "in extenso,"