The Daily News. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10. CLEANER MILK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 26 October 1907, Page 2

The Daily News. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10. CLEANER MILK.

'There is urgent need for a cleaner and purer milk-supply at a great many of ! the cheese and butter factories," states the report on the dairy division of the Department of Agriculture. "A great leal has already been written and said <u this subject, but very little progress ins been made towards improving the condition of the milk, even in the older dairying districts. The dairymen who ire careless or neglectful in the handling of the milk on their farms would appear to be quite oblivious to their responsibilities in this connection. and to the bad effect which ill-flavored milk has on the finished article." The report goes on to state that while many of the lairy-farmcrs do their utmost to deliver the milk in a clean and sound condition, their efforts are to some extent nullified by the way in which others of a less progressive nature treat the milk while tis under their control. If the good and bad milk could be made up into butter uid cheese separately the position would lie entirely different, for the losses would then fall on those directly responsible for them, and this would soon bring about the needed" reform. This is not possible from a practical point of view, however, and consequently the standard of pure is lowered according to the amount and kind of impure milk received. During the past season large quantities of milk were rejected and returned to suppliers in every dairying district in the Dominion, the amount reaching 60001b to 70001b in a single day at a single factory. The quantity of milk rejected at one factory amounted to 15,0001bs in three consecutive days. "First of all this is a serious loss to the owners of the milk," states the report, "and secondly it is a loss to the dairying company, because the output of the factory is reduced. The amount of milk mentioned would represent over a ton of butter. It is safe to say that thousands of pounds annually are lost to the producers owing to the rejection of milk. This in most cases could be avoided simply by cooling the milk on the farms. The argument that dairyfarmers cannot afford to provide a su'fticient supply of water and the necessary cooling appliances does not hold good. Dairymen cannot afford to be without these facilities for carrying on their business. Dairymen will find that the systematic and efficient cooling of the milk will greatly enhance the value of the butter and cheese made from it, prevent losses by having the milk returned, and hel)) to improve the good name of Xew Zealand's dairy products generally." The report explains in detail the steps that should be taken by the producers to improve the quality of the milk delivered at the dairy factories.