MANUFACTURE OF MARMALADE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XIII, Issue 1019, 27 April 1869, Page 2

MANUFACTURE OF MARMALADE

The manufactory of Messrs Keiller, Dundee, is one of largest in the marmalade trade, of which New Zealand and the Australian colonies are amongst the supporters. The visitor to Messrs Keiller’s manufactory is first conducted to the stores in which the raw materials are kept. There, in boxes, barrels, and bags, are to be seen the fruit, seeds, sugars, gums, &c., used in the trade. Of course, the green fruits are deposited in the store for the briefest possible time ; but of the other articles, a constant stock is kept on hard. Oranges are usually in season from the beginning of December till the end of March, and the year’s supply of marmalade must be made in that time. The oranges used are the bitter variety obtained from Seville in Spain. They are imported in chests containing 2 cwt. each. Messrs Keiller consume 3000 chests annually, from which they produce about 1000 tons of marmalade, the greater part of which i 3 sent out in pots containing one pound each. The term marmalade is supposed to have been derived from an Indian fruit resembling the orange, and named the /F,<jlp Marmelos, or Indian bael, from which at one period a similar conserve appears to have been made. Marmalade is of the nature of a jam, as it contains the whole substance of the fruit except the internal fibres and the seeds. The first operation in the process of converting the oranges into marmalade is to remove the skins. The fleshy part of the oranges is then squeezed to extract the juice, and the peel is sent into the cutting room where it is softened by being subjected to the action of steam, and then sliced up into “ chips.” In the early days of the manufacture, the peel was cut by hand ; but now the cutting is done by a simple but thoroughly effective machine, invented by Mr Wedderspoon Keiller, of Perth (a nephew of the late Mr James Keiller), the author of several ingenious contrivances for facilitating the manufacture of confectionery. Each machine consists of a spindle, from which a number of blades or cutters radiate. The blades revolve inside, and close to the side of a box; and in an aperture in the side of it a tube is fixed. The machines are attended by girls, who take up a handful of peel at a time, and, by pressing it into the tube referred to, bring it into contact with the cutting part of the apparatus, which speedily reduces it to very thin chips. Certain proportions of the chips, the juice of the orange, and and refined sugar are mixed together and boiled to .produce marmalade. The boiling-house contains a number of open copper pans about three feet in diameter, and two feet deep. The pans are made double, and the boiling is effected by the admission of steam into the space between the outer and inner vessels. A young woman attends to each pan, the contents of which she has to stir constantly. The time of boiling depends on a variety of circumstances, but the attendants know by experience when the proper point has been reached. The boilers are worked so as to be ready in rotation, and when the contents of one are ready, the marmalade is emptied into a pan fixed on a small truck and conveyed to the filling room. This is a large apartment, with tables arranged longitudinally, on which thousands of pots and' jars are piled. Adjoining the fillingroom is a sort of scullery in which the po*-s are washed by a steam-machine. In the case of the jars, which contain from 7 to 14 lb. each, the filling takes place on a set of scales ; but, as the pots are made of a uniform size to hold 1 lb. each, they are not weighed. When the contents have cooled sufficiently, the pots are raised by a steam-elevator to an upper room, where they are covered. About fifty women and girls are employed in this department. A circular piece of tissue paper is first laid upon the surface of the marmalade, and then ; a piece of vegetable parchment is tied over all. Formerly, animal tissue was used for covering the pots ; but now vegetable parchment, a much more cleanly and equally effective material, is being employed. Tn the course of the manufacturing season, about a million and a-half of pound-pots of marmalade besides a considerable number of jars containing from seven to fourteen pounds, are turned out, forming a handsome contribution to the food supplies of the people. It is important to know that, for the present price of a pound of butter a pound of marmalade may be procured ; so that in this, as in other cases, what was a luxury with one generation, will probably become a necessary with thenext-.

HAWKE’S BAY AFF \IRS. The correspondent of the Otago Times thus writes of affairs in this province : The intelligence that Mr M‘Lean has been deprived of his office as Government Agent, has created a profound sensation here, and everywhere upon this coast. Independent of "that gentleman’s unrivalled influence with all the important North Island chiefs, many of whom he sw r ayed at will, it is felt that at this distressing crisis, with natives up in arms in so many places, and with none to replace Mr M‘Lean, Government has committed a fatal mistake, which will probably involve the colony in boundless expense and lengthened disasteis. As this dismissal will certainly be severely criticised and investigated in the ensuing session of the General Assembly, and as the truth will be ultimately known, and injury to the public service is not likely to accrue from a disclosure of facts, it may be as well to state why Mr M‘Lean’s invaluable services were dispensed with just as they could be least spared. It is well known that from 700 to 800 natives have been for some time in pay at Wanganui ; and it is equally well known that for all the good they have ever done, those nativtß might as well never have been enlisted. Continual squabbles have culminated in accusations of the commanding officer to the Governor. At present tiie term for which the Wanganui natives enlisted has nearly expired, and as it has long been a reproach to the “ powers that be,” that they could not get on with natives—in fact, knew not how to preserve discipline in our Maori allies at Wanganui ; and as, moreover, those allies refuse to re-enlist, except upon condition of excessive privileges, the Government, naturally desirous of replacing the Wanganui natives, fixed upon the East Coast as the most likely place from which to obtain recruits. Ropata and Ngatiporou had, un-aided, beaten Te Kooti at Makeretu, and killed 100, all but three men, 24 of whom were leading chiefs. Again, at Ngatapa, it was Ropata and his men who really did the work, as every person here admits, with the exception of officers hungering for undeserved promotion. Further, it was Ropata and his people who followed Te Kooti for a week, through one of the most fearful bush districts it is possible to imagine, and captured in all over 120 men, fighting men too, in addition to an immence number, nigh 250, women and children. So the Government meant to have Ropata and the Ngatiporou if possible. It would have been a fortunate day for the colony if Ropata could have safely gone. Now it must be remembered Mr M‘Lean had forwarded warnings to Wellington that immediate danger threatened the various East Coast settlements from Taupo and other places. Everybody knows that no one is likely to be better informed than Mr M'Lean, nevertheless a Minister left Wellington in a Government steamer, and carefully avoiding Napier, and without consulting Mr M‘Loan, steamed to Waiapu. There, it is said, Ropata reluctantly agreed to go to Wanganui after had been told that Mr M‘Lean desired him to do so, but not before. The steamer next prepared to steam to Wellington, but baffled by contrary winds was forced to put into Napier for coal. At Napier it was attempted to keep Ropata, it is said, on board, but he insisted on seeing Mr M‘Lean. At their interview, to Ropata’s surprise, he found that Mr M £ Lean was not (inly ignorant of his proceeding but that he strongly opposed his departure, as it would leave the whole East Coast at the mercy of Te Kooti, information of whose intentions had been received by Mr MiLyan. Ropata himself had previously at Waiapu objected to leave home, pointing out the danger to Mr Atkinson, a relative of the Hon. Mr Richmond, and our R.M., who negotiated in the matter of his departure, The fact of the St Kilda being compelled to call at Napier for coal, was truly providential ; if she had gone direct to Wellington, all the East Coast settlements from Tauranga to Wairoa, would by this time have been destroyed by Te Kooti. The return of Ropata and his men partially averted the evil. Whether he will act under any one else but Mr M‘Lean, remains to be seen. I fear he will not ; and this is the general belief. As soon as it was found he would not leave the East Coast defenceless, Mr M‘Lean was dismissed for approving his determination. Whatever else you may hear, you may depend upon this, universal consternation is the result of Mr M’Xean’s dismissal.

We have, as Government Agent, in place of Mr M‘Lean, the Hon. Henry Russell, commonly known here as “Lord Henry.” He is ignorant of native matters, and consequently unfit to act at Government Agent in these calamitous times ; besides, he is unpopular with Europeans and Maoris alike ; and if we have matter for justifiable complaint in the removal of such a man as Mr M‘Lean, because he foresaw and endeavoured to prevent the late outbreaks, the grievance is intensified by placing a person in a position of importance for which he is unfitted.