DAIRY FACTORY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1026, 4 November 1882, Page 2

DAIRY FACTORY.

A meeting of the Directors of the Temuka Butter, Cheese and Baconcuring Factory was held yesterday afternoon in the Wallingford Hotel. Present—Messrs J. Guild (Chairman), Paterson, Grant, Barker, Austin, Cain and. Gray. The minutes of the previous meeting were read aud confirmed. The Chairman was authorised to arrange with any memhers of the directors to buy anything found suitable for the factory at the Christchurch show. Mr Grant suggested, that tenders should be called at once for the erection of the buildings, and after .some discus—sion,in the coirrse of which regrcrt was expressed at the directors not having sufficient funds to have started earlier so .is to he ready for the present season. It was resolved— '* That tenders be called for the erection of the buildings three weeks from date." The Chairman promised to confer with the architect, and make inquiries in the meantime as to whether wood, brick or concrete would be most suitable.

At this stage Mr J. T. M. Eayhurst arrived, and handed to'the Chairman the following letter which he had received from his father from Melbourne :

Melbourne, Oct. 6, ISB2. My dear So",—Since I wrote la*t I have Wn to see some of the cheese factoriesi,,bere. They are all on the one plan. The machinery is all imported from America, but the lnrge vats they use are made on the spot. They have no engines; all the curd is workedjby hand. I am informed that this plan is the best. No butter is made at any of the works. One gallon o'rnilk is expected to make one pound of cheese. The milk is brought every morning by the farmers before 9.30 o'clock, and the morning's mill: must not be brought in the Fame cans as the milk of the previous, evening. Each lot of milk is tested when comes in, in the presence of the tarty bringing it, and the result entered in a book kept for that purpose, and also in a bookjwhich the farmer sends with milk.'- All nqilk i»-

paid for monthly. The priceß paid vary according to the price of cheese. Last year tbey paid 6d per gallon. This year they are starting with sd. They can give 6d when cheese is selling at la per lb, and more or less as the price alters. All the factories belong to private persons; and they say they pay well when they have plenty of work and are well managed.

No pigs are kept at any of the factories. They will not pay to keep unless at a factory that is kept going all the year round. A small factory at Hidleburg is, I think, the best I saw'. It has two vats for making the curd, acd one for salting in. They are 12 feet 6 inches long by 4 feet wide, and 1£ feet deep- With these, and plenty of presses and drying rooms, three men can make half a ton of cheese per day. The men are paid as fellows: First hand £3 per week, the other two men from 30s to 40s per week. They have to work on Sundays and all holidays if required. The building should be high and dry, with good roof —one made with thatch is the best kind, if it is aho boarded oa the under side. The thatch will keep it cool in the hot weather. A building 25 feet by 60 feet would be about the size you would require, with a verandah 7 feet wide on the sides, the floor to be divided into two rooms, one for making cheese in, the other fitted up with shelves for drying the cheese. The cheesemaking room, to hold the three vate, and cheese presses, 28 feei by 30 feet in the clear. The floor, to be of concrete, well put down, with a drain just at the the end of the vats. That will be near the middle of the floor. The floor must have a good fall towards the door, which should be at the end of the floor drain. The floor should be as smooth as possible, so as to be easily kept clean. Boarded floors do not do well, as they take in the milk if any is spilt. The walls will do 12 feet high. The fire-place for making hot water is outside, under the verandah. The building should have plenty of light, and at the same time be protected from tbe north* west winds as they spoil the cheese. The best size of cheese for the market is from lOlbs to 30lbs—not larger. The meeting then terminated.