FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1918, Page 2

FARM AND DAIRY.

DKO2DC anUK. IMTjEfemtsna _ "Agricola," commenting on the above subject, says that dairy farmers iu the iNorth Island' are "working up a fervour (or-being worked up)' in regard to the merits or dried milk. Xo demerits can the writer light upon, except the cost of the plant, which, one would think might serve, as a cold douche. (Prom iSAjOOO to £ 40,000 share capital seems to bo about the money required to be g-uaranteed, and anything from 2000 to 10#00 cows' supply), still, the lure of anything from-3s to»4s par lib. of .butterfat is not to be sneered at, and dairymen in the north are signing the gnar.antens required ere the machinery--will ,be ordered in America to be manufactured. There are some interesting as--■pects which present themselves. It is hoped for Wie shareholders Bakes that t!l ° Imperial Government will declare ithat the dried milk industry is essentia] so that, shipping space may not be endangered. iDried milk is used in the army and navy- At Home dried milk is quoted at £l6O per ton, but if limited to £3oo' a ton-it is alleged that suppliers would get 3s per'lb. for butter-fat,, less charges. Of course, land values in' the neighbourhood of a dried milk factory paying these prices for butter-fat spells good times for the land agentß. jlbeir profits will be easier made than 'by milking-cows, and they w m be some , of the few in the community who will' be ; able to afford butter or Wad. The new f 6S o{t as will affect the cheese output, while, although butter-making will be carried on iJn conjunction with the dried milk |&heme, it is a certainty that milk-sup-ipliers the- Dominion over will want to [have a look' in with butter-fat quoted ! 3s There is one thing, how;cve-, which taies off the gilt of the gingerbread. Suppliers to. a dried-milk facno whey or skim-milk back. J ;. aibo ® t tho ? And does it mean igoocVbye to- the pig? Much lias 'been heard lately regarding j tlw prospects of the'dried milk industry Recently a party of dairy company dfelegatas from Palmerston Sferth visited Mulatto for the purpose of makin- enquiries- into the matter. On their return ■the delegates stated that they had ob' tamed an undertaking from Mr Goodfellow, managing director' of the Waikato Dairy Company, that they will' receive the option of obtaining the first available plant after the three plants ordered for the Waikato Oompanv have been supplied.- On the return of Mr Shirley, the Waikato Company's expert who is at present in the United States in connection with the purchase of the patent rights of the plant to be o,., cted in Waikato, Mr Cfoodfellow and "*<S|]j r ley will visit Palmerston North for the purpose of addressing the farmers on tho question of the manufacture of dried milk when it is felt that a considerable impetus will be given the undertaking in the Manawatu district, it being the intention to start as soon as possible. Considerable progress has been made as regards the peliminary preparation, as a result of the delegates' visit to tlife Wai. kato.