FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1917, Page 8

FARM AND DAIRY.

NEWS NOTES. Prior to tho commencement of the Kaponga Dairy Company's annual meeting Ihe Daily Xews' representative had a brief look over tlr; new premises. It is some years since he bad been through (he premises, which then turned out but- , tcr. From appe.u'.inees the, building. m:;o'.iinery, etc., s'.-mi-; to be as up-to-date as possible. A change that will be appreciated by (hose doing business wit]/ the company U the. line concrete building j-;..!;r i,p tii the footpath and used as olliccs. In the past an id-lighted, tworoomed whare served the purpose and the secretary (Mr. Beanie) must appreciate the change from dismal and cramped surroundings to bright, roomy quarters. The factory building is quite in keeping with the office, and shows that the directors have made a thorough job of the new premises and have not curtailed e::penso in any direction. Added to the prosperous appearances set up, the companv also has the extrasatisfaction of knowing the. improvements are of a permanent character, and there should be no need to write down depreciation so heavily as in the past. lu conversation with the manager (Mr. Sounness), that gentleman stated be was a great believer in pasteurisation. The company are installing Universal regenerators'for pasteurising milk for cheese making and will p'.ace two in at the main fatcory and one at each branch. It is expected that by next week all milk received will be. pasteurised. The advantage of pasteurisation, according to Mr. Sounness, is that a better grade cheese is manufactured, and also there is a little more cheese per lb of butterfat. * liy the old system there iw-aa a '•renter' likelihood of turning out more second than first grade cheese, whilst there was the additional yield per lb of butter-fat to be Considered, and the fact that no more fuel in tho new regenerators was required. From a health point of view the new method is to be commended. Previously they brought the temperature up to >M, but this had been found hardly sufficient to kill any tubercular germs. From now onwards the temperature will reach from IGS to 17:. degrees, and will destroy all germs. At the close of his address moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, the chairman (Mr. Geo. Death) spoke ■in high terms of Mr. Sounness' ability. His remarks were cordially endorsed by shareholders. Mr. Sounness has had a dong experience, and spent six years in Christ church in the live stock and meat division, then was Inspector of Stock and Dairies. He was four years general manager at Kaupokonui and also ( niana°er at Norsewood. With bis ex■perienee and the excellent plant Kaponga cheese should stand well in grade ■quality. " The' Toko manager (Mr. Sullivan) informs me that the milk yield so far has been found hardly sullicient to kill any quality being ahead of last year. At Kaponga it is considered the milk yield is a fortnight to three weeks' ahead of last season. The cheese factories all scored high ■figures last season. Lowgarth and Eltham touched Is 10(1 per lb of butterfat Kaponga Is lOd to Is lid, and now Ngaere reaches 2s. High figures these and makes the butter prices of Midhirst 1 Is <!d and Stratford is 7d look small, though these same butter prices are ex- ' tremely satisfactory compared with ' figures' ruling a few years back. In conversation with a man of conBiderabie experience in figures, I am assured that Lowgarth and Ngaere are two of tho best managed and economically run factories in Taranaki. Mr. T. Harry I'cnu is secretary of both factories, but neither seem very liberal in their honorarium to tho secretary, though l.owgarth at tho last meeting im- • proved the position. "Lord luv me, Ted, I thought you and ; I was pals!" An exclamation made by ! the chairman at a recent factory meet--1 ing. At Kaponga on Monday a shareholder spent some time in denouncing a resolution passed at the last meeting. After 1 delivering his tirade he requested in- ■ formation as to who moved such a mot tion. It was somewhat of a "facer'when the ex-chairman said it was the last speaker. The latter retorted that he lett the meeting before, the motion was put. The ex-chairman retaliated by saving that after bearing the movers lengthy remarks ho briefly seconded, and meeting passed tho motion and promptly adjourned. The saving of veils creates some inter- ; est amongst farmers. At Eltham and i Kaponga the question was reviewed. At 1 the former place shareholders reckoned > thee were not getting enough. At Ka- - poiiga one man said they were paying ■ too'much. The .balance-sheet showed t they paid the farmers considerably more r for veils than the company using same - for rennet paid to the factory. He - maintained this was bad business. The .' chairman disagreed, slating they must - have the veils and must pay any price ; (some were paying ss) to encourage the - farmer to save them. Later on things f mi'dit. adjust themselves. In the mean- • time the farmer -who slaughters his : calves mav sell bis veils to the factory at 5? each ami the factory send same - alow to the rennet company at Is Od 1 each? The bacon business also leads to divid- ! en opinion. At Kaponga Mr. Mellow ; contended that the breeder supplying ' pigs to tho company received no better - price- than previously, although the factory were shareholders. His ideas are ' tlui same as Mr. Spratt express- ■ ed at Normanby. Against these " Mr. Forsyth, Eltham, considers the amalgamation of. bacon eon- ' cerns was the be-t thing that bad hap- "' pened to the industry, and far better • than be ever hoped to see, and ho was " confident this combination would be re--1 turned to the farmer. With less prices ' for the pigs and a higher price to be paid by tho consumer (in this case the ' breeder of tho pig) it does not look too ' good. Perhaps Mr. Forsyth means there ' will be a whopping dividend paid by the ' bacon concern -"ul the farmers will share in the same.