FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 318, 18 June 1915, Page 6

FARM AND DAIRY.

The advantages of the milking machine to the dairy farmer were illustrated in the case of a farmer in the I'atea distiict who last season milked singlehanded -IS cows with the aid of liis machine at a cost of slightly over o'/ 2 d pel (lay. The milking machine should go a long way towards solving the lahoi problem for dairy farmers.—Press. As showing what chemistry has done for the dairy farmer during the past four years it is interesting to note that in one factory not a hundred miles from I'atea no less than 24,27!Hbs of whey butter was made, which at the lowestimate of Is per lb brought in over .f 12(lt) to the dairy fanner (says the Press). Four years ago' the extra but-ter-fat thus saved from the whey would in some cases have been allowed to run into the nearest creek. Another innovation that has resulted in the gain of many thousands of pounds to the dairyman is the manufacture of cheese from milk that has been pasteurised beforehand. The result of this process has been that an increase as high as 5 per cent, in the yield has been obtained.

The Hiiweva Star reports:—Mr. H. D. Mac-Donald has patented an apparatus for the weighing and sampling of machine - milked cows. Mr. M'acDonald claims that his machine will weijih automatically and correctly each cow's milk, and simultaneously extract a true sample for testing purposes. At present the greatest drawback to machine-milk-ing is that most farmers in a great measure are working in the dark as regards their best cows, but if by a single attachment to the present' milking machines, the apparatus can automatically do what is claimed for it by Mr. MacDonald, it will ho of inestimalilc value to the dairy industry of the whole of Taranaki.

iVt a meeting of the representatives of local bodies to deal with the small birds nuisance at Levin, Mr. T. W. Kirk, Director of Orchards, said that placing everything on a low basis, no less than €1,400,0,10 was lost per annum through the damage done by small 'birds. The Waverley correspondent of the ll'atea Press reports having been shown a v,-ry fine specimen of a new kind of potato grown bv Mr. (t. Aiken, of Kimhelton. The pota-to, M'hich has been named "Sir J. (!. Wilson," is a cross between the Derwent and the Maori Chief. It is reported to be an excellent cooker, of good shape, with a dark, smooth skin, which does not turn green when exposed. The eyes are not as deep as the Dement variety. The grower is quite confident that the new tuber is a anuch better potato than the Maori Chief, so highly spoken of at the State Farm last season for both yield and quality. Mr. Aiken estimates that he has taken as many "Sir J. (!. Wilsons" from two acres last season as he haa taken from live acres of ".Maori Chief." The total door receipts at the Waikato Winter Show amounted to £823, exceeding last year's record -by :C3S\ The dining-room, which was conducted by tin- ladies' commit!ee, showed a turnover of €2OO, a substantial proportion c.f which is actual profit. The sale of tickets for a Shetland pony, on behalf of the Hospital Ship Pond, realised €213, while over ,C! 10 worth of cheese was sold, showiiu.' a profit of about €"io. As the icsult of the show, it is expected that the Hospital Ship Fund will benefit to the extent of €4OO.