FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 August 1916, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

A HOME-MADE HOME. ("Talii Heroui"J. Amongst all the different persons who have been the pioneers of the Moa Block, or who have become settlers in that district since the actual pioneering work was done, only a small proportion can be truly classed as home-makers. Of these, Mr. E. A, Laurence, of Surrey road, is certainly one. He claims to be, with his brother, Mr. W. Laurence, of Durham road, the oldest continuous resident of the Moa district, having come with his parents to live near where ■Durham road now is in January, 1875, and since then has never resided outside the block. Some thirty-four years ago he acquired the property that is now his home. At that time there was a small clearing of eight or less acres on the 83-acre section. From the very start he determined to make there a home for himself, and seven years later he was able to live on his land. He married, and from that time onward has persistently continued to carry out his original intention. In this he has been well and ably seconded by Mrs. Lawrence, and, as he himself says, by the great good fortune of good health. He and Mrs. Laurence have brought up a robust, healthy family of ten (two of whom are now serving the Empire as defenders of our freedom), and ho can show one of the cosiest, neatest and bestappointed farms to be found at any rate in the busli lands of Taranaki. Nothing showy or pretentious; just a snug, smiling home, a restful place to return to after a spell away amongst the more -stirring and strenuous conditions of the busy centres of trade and population outside, though life on the farm is, of course, always full of interesting work. This delightful homestead is situated a mile and a-half from the Tariki railway 'station. As above stated, the (property is one of 83 acres, divided into 14 paddocks (besides the garden enclosure round the dwelling), the whole being level, ploughable and well watc-red. A quite considerable area of native bush has been left untouched, which gives welcome shelter to parts of the farm. Twenty chains of pinus insignia and maerocarpa trees, kept well trimmed, provide shelter for other parts, and a plantation of many different kinds of evergreen trees, pines, eryptomaria and others gives still further protection from bad weather. These, with the well-ke.pt burberry hedges of the division and boundary fences make the conditions of the farm such that whatever the direction of the wind may be the stock can always be put into paddocks where they will be comfortably protected from its violence.

The homestead itself consists of a comfortable and convenient dwelling, approached through the garden by a welllaid concrete path, which is extended to a wide space at the eastern end and back of the' dwelling, so that in the wettest of weather there is no mud around the house. Detached from the house is a building containing a comfortable, wcll-ventiiated boys' bedroom and wash-house, also a storehouse, which in former times was the dairy. The homestead is not combined, as so many are, with all sorts of makeshift outhouses. There is one, 40 feet long by 12ft wide, concrete-floored, through which the track to the. milking shed leads. It is divided into three—tire'wood store, calf-house and stable, and is a solid, substantial building. The milking shed is one division of a building 40ft square, on concrete foundations, which contains the milking shed, lift by 40ft, concrete-floored, with SOO-gallon tanks

for water supply; eartshed and workshop of the same size, and between these two the barn, having folding doors and s.i arranged that drays loaded with hay can be backed in for unloadings. The walls and roof are of corrugated iron, and the whole makes a neat, compact, useful, nay, almost indispensable, build-

ing. The farm is now carrying 26 cows, ' a bull and two horses, whose condition v Is a certificate of their satisfaction with their keep. , The enclosure round the dwelling in- J eludes a. well-kept productive vegetable and fruit garden, as well as a flower I garden with many shrubs. In short, 1 the keynote of the whole place is order, j, neatness and home. ■ That such a home can be made out of . very heavy bush country bv one who has had no help but his own industry j and singleness of purpose, who started , I with bone and muscle nnd a high courage f for his sole capital, should be, and no . doubt is, a great encouragement to any x beginner who is fortunate enough to be- , come acquainted with the facts, and ] Mr. Laurence is always ready and willing j to tell any such person the results of ( his experience. i I DAIRY FACTORY STATISTICS. The following- statistics were given in < the Hells Co-op. Dairy Co.'s balancesheet for the season just closed:— . Pounds of milk. 9.235,G20; pounds of butter-fat, 352,019; test, 3.51. For cheese-making: Pounds of milk, 5.78!),310; pounds of butter-fat. 332.482; pounds of cheese (402 tons 7cwt. 201b), !'Ol,2!>P; pounds of milk to lib cheese, 9.75; pounds of cheese from lib fat, 2.71; average test, 3.75; cost per lb, f.o.b. (including depreciation), .Slid. For butter-making: Pounds of milk, 449,304; pounds of lmtterfat, 19.337; pounds of butter (including starter butter, 9 tons Scwt 3qr 71b), 21,147; test, 4.33. DAIRY FACTORY. The following is the report of the Tikorangi Dairy Co.:— Taking advantage of the powers conferred by recent legislation, your directors have throughout the summer months forwarded butter for the relief of the suffering Belgians. They are also contributing a. small amount monthly to the Women's League, New Plymouth, for distribution amongst our own men at the. front and in base hospitals. This action will, no doubt, meet with your hearty approval. Duriil*; the yeai Mr. D. Alexander resigned his .position of chairman owing to pressure of work at home, his son being now at the front. Mr. C. Foreman was appointed to fill the position. The retiring directors are Messrs Matthews and Alexander. Mr. Matthews does not seek re-election. > Milk received, (i,4C5,11!31b5; cream re- • cched, 177,33711'5; butter-fat from milk, 5 258,71 Tibs; butter-fat from cream, 01,144 j lbs; butter made, 3(13.1351b5: average | milk teslj. 4.0; pounds of milk to proi duee lib of butter, 22; nett value per lb of butter-fat, 14.7U1. BUTTER v. CHEESE. Some interesting figures were given

during a discussion at tlic annual meeting of the Normanby Dairy Co. relative to tUe action oS tli? diveetoii i:; cliang-

ling from cheese to butter-making towards the end of May. Mr. Laurent I pointed out that when the change was imadn the factory was turning out 17 cheese per day; I hey then made liewt., or 12 boxes, of butter, but on the prices then ruling they stood to lose .£2l Ids per day by the change. This was the loss sliowe on the basis of cheese at 90s or '.lis and nutter at 185s. In tlio first week of me change lie calculated that the company lost close on £l5O, and c Qood manj suppliers were wondering how this error of judgment came to be made.

■Mr. Spratt, in reply, contended that the company had made no loss at all; that the balance was, as a matter of fact, slightly in favor of butter, and quoted the following figures ill support of his argument: It takes 101b of mill; to make ill) of butter worth lfi'/.d on n 3 test and 2 per cent, overrun. The expenses of manufacture are %d per lb, so that 101b of milk was worth lßd net, Cheese: Lbs ot milk to lb of cheese 5.42, test i>, ratio '2..1.1. (Figures taken when cheese was made to May -27). One pound of butter-fat makes 2 l-.llli cheese, 8.2131b milk go to lib cheese, milk to butter-fat 2 l-.'S x 8 2-5 1!) 4-51b. It therefore takes 19 4-51b milk to turn lib butter-fat into cheese, Cheese at !)4s per ewt. is 10 l-14d per lb, expenses (averaged for the season) 1 7-10 d, net price 8 13-35(1 per lb; 2 l-.llb of .-heese to lib butter-fat—-price, per lib butter-fat was therefore 2 1-3 x 8 13-3.-J—1!) S-lod; 10 4-olb milk made into cheese was worth 19 S-15d; Kill) milk made into butter was worth llid; the difference in favor of butter was 4.15 d on 10 4-51b of milk, or 1 l-3d on lOfllb. Some members present appeared to be surprised that the figures worked out in favor of butter. The chairman added that one reason for the decision of the directors in changing from cheese to butter when they did was because the factory was then only working every other day, and the manager did not care to risk making second-grade cheese, —Star.