Agricultural.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2358, 20 August 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

Agricultural.

TilK KHENDALE DAIRY FACTORY.

Tim: sixth season of cheese-making at the Ivlcn.l.ile I'.u tory has just closed, and the following particulars ot the result, which we take from the Otago Witness, are full of i 11 1<• i■ •■ -1 for dairymen. Dairy factories arc said to have changed the face of the country m sonic of the, American States, covering with a prosperous population land that had presented a povertystricken appearance, and from the success of the Ldendalc Factory we see what may he done in New Zealand!)}’ perseverance and enterprise. The factory, as is generally known, belongs to the New Zealand and Australian Land Company, and was the first established on the American system in New Zealand. All the plant was imported from America, and it is by copying chat plant Unit most of the other factories in iS’ew Zealand have been furnished l.y local tradesmen. It had considerable difficulties to contend against for a year or two, as the settlers had no coiilideiiec in it ; hut Mr Brydone was strongly of opinion that dairying was the thing to suit Southland, and was determined factory cheesemaking should have a fair trial, and ns milk could not ho obtained from the settlers, the company purchased about-100 niileheows, which were milked by women and children, who were paid LI per cow each milking. >o milk was supplied by farmers the first year, hut the second year three sent some, and as confidence was established their number gradually increased, until this year there were do settlers sending their milk to the factory, and instead of the company requiring to keep 400 cows, as formerly, they only milked 100, and next season it is most probable they will give up dairying altogether. The first season was rather a short one, and only about 30 tons of cheese were made, hut this last season fully 140 have been turned out, for which 220,000ga1. of milk have been used. The capacity of the factory has had to hu increased, and it is now capable of receiving .'jOOOgai. a day and storing (in tons of cheese. The factory buildings and plant have cost £2,j00 from Hist to last, and are now very complete. The Kdendale cheese has kept a premier position in the market, and the company have so far been able to give -Id a gallon for the milk, and have a balance of profit each year besides. The factory is kept in operation all the year round, and for three months in winter, when there is not snllioient milk to make cheese, butter is made by the aid of a cream separator, and it sells readily in Dunedin at from 2d to 3d per lb above the ordinary country butter, its wholesale price being never less than Is 2d per Ih in Dunedin.

This season’s make of cheese was all sold to a largo Australian firm before the price fell, and upwards of 90 tons have already been shipped. The American Cheddar system of making has been practiced from the start until a few weeks ago, when it was altered to the Canadian Cheddar, that being considered the more suitable de- ; scription of make for withstanding a long sea voyage. Mr Brydono appears to be of opinion that, with the proper make of cheese and suitable packing, there will he no dilicnlty in disposing of all the New Zealand manufacture in London at a price which will leave the fanner from 3.U1 to -Id per gallon for Lis milk, and at his suggestion several factories have shipped and arc shipping consignments to London in a special chair her by each Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company’s steamer. Pig-focding at Edendalo has always proved a considerable source of profit. This season 290 pigs were kept, and are now being killed off for curing. The main feature of the whole thing is that dairying at Edcndale is paying the farmer The hand for miles round Edendalc belonged to the New Zealand and Australian Land Company, and they have been gradually disposing of it for some years hack. Of late, however, money has become so scarce that men cannot pay cash down, and to meet the times the company are leasing farms at a moderate rent with a purchasing clause, and it is principally the occupants under this system who have been supplying the milk tins past season. Some of the farmers have milked as many as 100 cows, and been paid £OSO for the season’s milk, which is a satisfactory return for such a large number of cows, The smaller dairies generally pay better, as the cow's arc more carefully selected and better attended to. The host returns for the season areas follow' A man who milked -10 cow’s received an average of £8 15s od per cow (this man has only 148 acres of land); another milking 39 averaged £8 4s od ; a third, milking 35 averaged £7 17s 2.1 ; a fourth, milking 20 on rather poor grass, averaged £0 12s ; a fifth, milking 32 averaged £8 14s 5d ; and a sixtli milked 80 cow's, half of which were heifers, and W'.as paid an average of £0 7s 4d. The 100 cows milked by tbe company gave a return of £7 15a for the season, reckoning the milk at 4rl per gallon. A good many did not send their milk the full season, or only a part of their milk, or probably six days in the week ; but the result on the whole has been very satisfactory to the settlers, as with one or two exceptions all the work in connection with the cows lias been performed within their own famalios, and the same return or anything near it could not have been made from the land by any other method of farming. Dairying lias a great advantage over cropping, in that it does not exhaust the toil in the same manner, and we sincerely hope the prices of butter and cheese will maintain the paying position which they have fairly well done in the past, and not get into the ruinous state which prices of grain and mutton have fallen to.