THE WAITOITOI FACTORY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 52, 1 July 1915, Page 2

THE WAITOITOI FACTORY.

A CO-OPERATIVE CONCERN. A few particulars iu connection with the establishment of the Waitoitoi Dairy Factory' in the district known as the Minii, a lew miles from Ureliui, will be interesting to the farming community.. The concern is purely fco-operative, there being a directorate I of representative farmers, of whom Mr | .J. T. Phillips is chairman and Mr R. ' Peppereil (New Plymouth) secretary, /[bat the factory is up-to-date in every particular will be noted from the folI lowing notes gleaned by a representaj u'vc of the "Post" from the architect, Mr A. I). Bliek, Stratford, whose -sound knowledge of the needs of the 'dairying industry has led him to introduce several special features hitherto foreign to these factories:— The suppliers arrive at the west ;side of the factory, where two receiving stages are placed in front of the building under a hanging verandah. | The milk > is backed into the stages, j therefore doing away with the hoist, 'in this connection, experienced managers say this enables them to deal with one-third more milk in the same time. The carts then proceed to the back of the building to receive their proportion of whey, and their exit obviates any congestion whatever in the passing of carts. The supply of milk from the receiving stage is weighed in a Sinus weigher, and passes thence to a regenerative pasteurising plant with a capacity of 1800 gallons per hour. ' From the cooler, which reduces the temperature to 88 degrees, the milk then is conveyed in chuting to five cheese vats iu the making room (35ft x 59ft) exclusive of space •for regenerative plant. From this room the whey runs to a whey vat in the separator room, where there are two 660-gallon direct-drive Alfa-Laval separators. A special feature of this room is the arrangement for carrying on the making of butter in place of cheese at a day's notice. It is fitted up with a freezing chamber and a Haslam freezer with an ice-making capacity of 20cwt. in twenty-four hours, fitted with chilled water-coil in tank and connections to direct expansion vat and condenser.

Cuming back to the making room, it may be montioned that there are five double-lever cheese presses, and then the cheese is taken to an insulated curing room (36ft x 28ft), which is fitted lip with all necessary movable shelving. Special features of the room include the ventilation, all the air being conveyed by means of shafting connected with Boyle's ventilations, and mi insulated sash designed by Mr Blick. and the first of its kind in use ill the Dominion. Incidentally, it may be mentioned, that Mr Blick intends protecting his idea of this sash. On the curing-room the packingroom abuts (24 x 14), with loading dock so that' the cheese may be loaded with a minimum of labor. Off the making-room is the testing room (14 x 9), fitted with a steam turbine Babcock tester of 24-bottle capacity, complete with fittings with the exhaust carried outside the build-

ing. Adjoining is a convenient bathroom with hot and cold water. Also off the making-room is the en-gine-room, complete with Shanks' engine of six nominal horse-power jam! the Haslam freezer. Besides the freezing-room off the separator-room, there is a washing apartment and the starter-room. In connection with the last-named, it is noteworthy that here, also, convenience has been studied by having the starter so close to the separators. After the whey is separated, it is conveyed by gravitation to a tank some distance from the building, where the suppliers may receive their quota. Another feature which the farmer will greatly appreciate is an arrangement whereby he may obtain any quantity of boiling water to convey home to wash his cans, thus saving him the necessity of lighting the copper when he gets home. Outside the building, close to the engine-room, is a cold-water tank with a holding capacity of 2600 gallons, supplied with water by a Hutchinson ram, capable of lifting 3600 gallons per day, and which supplies the factory throughout, the tank being on an elevated platform of a height of 22 feet.

The boiler-house is separated from the engine-room by a distance of twelve feet, and contains a 20-horse-power Murray boiler. Next to this is a coal bunker sufficient for all re-

quirements. The salt room is also attached to the boiler-house, a convenience that managers will thoroughly appreciate on account of always having a supply of dry salt. I A few of the special features of the building comprise: The ventilation of the different rooms, whereby the steam 'and hot air is conveyed to the roof ;the

hot-water system embraces a Berry exhaust steam beater connected with the exhaust from the engine ;the gravitation of the whey after separation; a receiving stage at the back to receive whole milk for the production of hotter instead of- cheese ; the draiu-

ige throughout is arranged on the

.principle of a fall to one point, viz., .at the end of the separator-room, thus obviating any channels whatever. The building, which is being constructed of concrete to a. height of six feet, the superstructure of wood, lulled throughout with t. and g lining, J will be erected by day labor under the sole management of the architect (Mr j Blick) who is supplying all quantities '•of materials, including the machinery. | The contract for the installation of the machinery has been let to Messrs Mc- , Millan and I'Yedric, of Stratford, who (are agents for tbe best dairying plants in the Dominion, and who may lie depended upon to cany out their contracts to the satisfaction of the architect and the directors. It is also very

[ satisfactory to record that the whole *'j\vork- in connection with the erection

of tlic huihliiig and (lie equipmcufc is in the hands of Stratford firms entirely. | J lie building operations will he ifi charge of Mr Joe Hale., of Stratford. | The butter portion of the factory will lie ready (weather permitting), by the middle of August, while it is anticipated that the whole business will he finished by the middle of Septem-

ber, before the flush of the season