Stratford News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 106, 20 September 1912, Page 3

Stratford News

From our resident reporter. TURNIPS FOR DAIRY COWS. FACTORY MANAGER IS INDIFFERENT ABOUT JT. BUT BIDS SUPPLIERS LOOK OUT. Those shareholders present at the Ngaere Co-operative Dairy Factory Company's annual meeting on Tuesday smiled a knowing smile when Mr Joe Thomas asked whether shareholders generally were to be placed on the same footing as he understood some of the directors were on in reference to the feeding of turnips to dairy cows. Quite needlessly, Mr. Thomas added that he was not desirous of casting any personal reflections on any of the directors, and a labored smile went round again. Proceeding to open up a discussion, Mr. Thomas said that in the fall it would be possible for fanners to send a much larger quantity of milk to the factory if they were allowed to feed the cows;on turnips. They wanted, of course, to supply the maximum quantity. He had ! been given to understand that turnips could be fed in small quantities to the cows without damaging the produce, but that indiscriminate feeding on turnips would produce from the milk second- j grade cheese. Now, if it were possible | to feed ;a certain proportion of turnips to the stock he wanted to feed his portion, for he did not think that the directors, owing to their position, should • have all the, advantage. j Mr. Taylor (a director) said he had | fed turnips to his cows Mr. Thomas: If the cap does not fit don't try to put' it on. Mr. Taylor continued that last autumn more than the directors had used turnips for feeding stock for this factory. He gave it as a fact that feeding swede turnips in the spring could not be done without tainting the milk, but feeding soft turnips with discretion in the autumn was quite a different matter. The turnips, however, should be pulled at least a couple of days before being given to the cows, and fed with any amount of grass. Proceeding, he said he had given the manager notice of his intention to start turnip-feeding, and told him to send his milk back to the farm if he could detect anything wrong with it. But neither the manager nor Mr. Osborne (another member of the factory staff) had been able to tell that the cows were on turnips unless it happened that thoy were left on till late in the afternoon. His practice at first was to feed turnips that had been pulled for a couple of hours a day, and that proved all right, too. But if, owing to his being away from home, the cows were allowed to remain on late, then the milk was tainted. Of course, if the cows were put on to turnips empty, and allow to fill their stomachs and "bust" on them, it was bad. But if the cows h-id the run of plentv of grass it was all right.

Mr. Thomas said that was all very well, butT if a man had plenty of grass he didn't need to feed on turnips. The chairman, who was greeted with •the remark, "another sinner," said he had not fed on turnips. He was satisfied that if suppliers would do as Mr. Taylor did, and tell the manager before feeding turnips to the cows, then that was fair play. But some would do it, and swear to the manager that their cows were never near the turnips. Mr. N. B. Fryday said that in Southland the dairymen had fed turnips to their cows right through one season. Yet they "scooped" Is s'/>d per lb for butter-fat. Mr. Harrison urged that speakers should distinguish between soft and swede turnips. He had fed green-top Aberdeen to the cows in the autumn, after telling the manager, and no fault had been found with the milk. Mr. Jones declaimed that they had no need to ask anyone about feeding on swedes. Each one of them knew that they couldn't feed dairy cows on swede turnips without tainting the milk. A shareholder: You're wrong. Mr. Harrison said he had fed his cows well with hay, and had given them swedes afterwards, without affecting the milk.

The ckairman again said that a good deal depended on the method adopted. The manager was called in, and upon the position being put to him, he said that turnips had been fed successfully, but a good deal depended on how they were handled. If they were fed to cows moderately on a full stomach little harm would be done. It was not actually in the feeding but the system of it. ' He would include in the term '•turnips" ewedes, soft turnips, rape, cabbage, watercress, etc., for they all gave milk the same flavor. Very little milk came to the factories in these parts from turnipfed cows tut what could be deteeted. As a manager he must condemn turnipfeeding. To Mr. ..rones: Tf milk had a turnip taint he would refuse it. The manager said that he had known people feed turnips to factory cows without any taint being detectable in the milk or the cheese made from it, but that was not in Taranaki. Continuous feeding of turnips would produce second-quality cheese. It might pass as first-grade here, but the managers w T ere not making cheese altogether for the grader at this end. A strong tuniipy flavor in the cheese at the Home end would spoil the sale to the consumer. The Home consumer wanted a milk-fla-vored cheese. Mr. T. E. Coleman pointed out that turnip-feeding was prohibited in the bylaws, and the directors should not encourage it. Mr. TTarrNon considered that the acceptance (."• v ii'diun of th-3 milk at the door was suilicient safeguard. The manager said that if the milk when heated to 150 degrees still retained n clean flavor it was quite satisfactory. As long as a m-'n sent milk of that quality he was justified in feeding the cows on whatever he liked. Some days miik from cows fed on turnips might stand the test, but i>< :;t day might be turnipflavored, lie announced his determination to return milk if off-flavored from any cauM> ! '>ver, and without any previous - 'g. Tn some factories (he man';;;;' -;ive ■-. , >ral warnings', but his idea was that, '.he suppliers know the manager wanted clean milk, and they fed these foods at their own risk. The di.;cii-siou concluded with the remark by the chairman that he hoped the manager would very firmly enforce his decision. STRAY PARAGRAPHS. The first train Irom Stratford to New Plymouth yesterday had but one small first-class compartment, and that was practically filled with the members and baggage of a travelling theatrical companv. First-class ticket holders had perforce to ride in cars of the lessor grade. There was no real reason why the ordinary travelling public should not have been considered. The guard, on being acquainted with the fact, had a first-class cariage put on at Inglewood. It was nearly as clean as a freight car on a holiday. A visitor to Whanganiomona is enthusiastic, over the novelty of a ride on the P.W.D. tram. The three horses are driven tandem fashion, without whip or rein. The driver's encouragement for

the team consists of a heap of road metal placed at his right hand, and hurled, along with many expletives, at the horses. Two of the North Taranaki Hunt Club's hounds got away from Stratford a few weeks ago. On Wednesday, the huntsman and .Mr. J. Branigan spent the day searching for them, and towards evening located them in the street near the school. Mr. dill' "made no race" of them, and now they are back with their mates—the hounds, of course.

The latest addition to the stall' of the local branch of' the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company is Mr. F. H. Anderson, who has been transferred from the Oairiaru branch, and who will be associated with Mr. Percy Budd in the Stock Department.

in the return euchre match at the club rooms on Wednesday evening, tiie Kgmont Club defeated the Fire Brigade by 49 games to 3!). ; The Borough Council's steam road roller has arrived in Wellington, and has been transhipped to New Plymouth. Within a few days it should arrive here, and then the state of some of our streets should impr»ve, i*». -I .'ii BERNARD'S PICTURES. Last night's change of programme at His Majesty's, as usual, was quite up to the high standard of excellence set and maintained, too, by Madame Bernard, and the large audience thoroughly appreciated the fare provided. "Wax's Havoc," Katem's masterpiece, was the piece de resistance. Briefly told, ' the Battle of Sumpter's Fall interrupts • the wedding of Captain Faulkner and Jennie McFcarson. The ceremony is completed, however, and the dashing Confederate makes for the front. A year later sees Faulkner's regiments in the vicinity of his old home. A railroad car of Federals is en route to attack the camp, and by some strategy Faulkner's wife and a negro woman get this news to the Confederates. She cuts the wires and shoots an operator who attempts to telegraph from a tree, but he has managed to give warning, and the Federals return. The two take charge of an engine, and run it into collision with the, Federals' train, and save the day*' The' matinee to be held oil Saturday afternoon should draiw a big crowd, as there is no doubt that parents are commencing to realise that not only do they entertain the children, but t'hafr they also educate them.