Farm Notes.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4500, 7 December 1909, Page 4

Farm Notes.

jpfl ‘ MILK SUPPLY B* > >To a very great extent tbe condition ". io which the milk is delivered to the decides the quality of the cheese or butter made from it, therefore it is almost impossible to over(FeStimate the importance of the condi- | tion of the milk as to its purity or t freedom from undesirable taints ably means inferior or faulty dairy{produce, because there is no treatment V-known in scientific or practical dairyiprork that will entirely eliminate such f defects in milk. .• It should be remembered that the effect is not always distinctly notichaHe immediately after the produce is sg|lue, for it often happens that the ■jpdesirable flavours make their apWjfearanee at a later stage. For the last twelve months more interest has been aroused in the dairy business in relation to the milk supplied to dairy factories than has been the case formerly. During that time much has been written and said for and against the need for improvement in the treatment the. milk received at tbe hands of many of those who are directly concerned in its production. The subject has certainly been well discussed, and this alone has doubtless borne some fruit in the way of compelling many of the dairy people to admit the need of some method of gaining the desired end—namely, a cleaner and better supply of milk for butter and cheese making, v The discussions that have taken place at nearly every dairying centre in the country anent the proposed dairy regulations have conclusively proved that a large majority of the dairy farmers fully recognise that *tsmne forward movement is required in the way of preventing milk being produced under such conditions as would be liable to contaminate it or affect its putity, at least to a reasonable extent. This, in itself, is a hopeful sign, and it may be assumed that we are now within measurable distance‘bf ? seei , ng a distinct advance in the production, of a larger percentage’ 6i first-class milk: When this time arrives, the name and fame of r New Zealand dairy produce will be | further enhanced. That some progress has been made within the year towards providing better sanitary arrangements on many dairy farms is well known Many new milking-sheds have been erected ion more modern lines, some of the , .oldor ones have been altered toad- | vantage, a large number of concrete floors have been laid down, and some once dirty yards have been cleaned tip, all of which will tend to insure a much cleaner and sounder supply of milk. This good example set by some of the farmers will no doubt be followed by others before the next season begins. Unfortunately,, there are a great many milking-sheds still in use which are far from being in a reasonably sanitary condition, and it is' little wonder the milk becomes tainted before it reaches the factories. Other common sources of inferior milk are the lack of care in milking, unclean utensils and the keeping of the night’s milk too near the sheds and yards Another factor which has detrimentally affected a portion of the milk supply within recent years has been the introduction of tho milkingmachine. It is estimated that in New Zealand no less than 700 plants have been installed, representing about 1,600 pulsators capable of milking 32,000 .cows daily. Now, while a great many of these machines are thoroughly, cleaned each time they are . used, and are kept in a sanitary condition, there are many which are not. In fact, some of them are allowed to become so unclean that the milk which passes through them is quite unfit for the manufacture of either good cheese or good butter. (To be continued)