DAIRYING.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2524, 13 September 1888, Page 2

DAIRYING.

TO THE EDITOR Silt,—The farmers of this district are under deep obligation to you, for the way in which you uphold their interest in your valuable journal. I could wish that more of our editors would follow your example, and that fanners would act upon your advice, for it is on trie product of the soil that we live. I was very pleased in reading the paragraph which you inserted in your Thursday's issue, under the head of " Butter Yield," etc., f«ir it quite corroborates the statement in my last, that cows which give a high percentage of cream will not give so many pounds <>f milk per day as cows that eive a low percentage. Allow me, here, Mr Editor, to tell yon of two particular cows that camo under my own knowledge, one gave seven hundred gallons in one season, whilst the other only gave three hundred and sixty gallons. The per centage_ of cream to the gallon was G.and 16 respectively, and the cow which gave the least iiiillc gave :j2lbsot butter most during the season. And now, sir, as regards buying of milk. There can be no doubt about the most lair and equitable way to pay for it in accordance with the amount of cream that it contains, and as the coming season gives promise that butter will be considerably better worth than last season. I hesitate not to say that a company can well alford to pay 2id per gallon for milk with 10 per cent, of cream, the gallon to contain lO.Ubs., and if any persnu supplies milk below 10 per cent to allow one-third of a penny for every per cent, deficient, and for every additional per cent, of cream above 10 to be paid <J-40tbs of a penny for, the skim milk to be returned to the suppliers, less 15 per cent., which would be allowed for extraction of cream, etc. My reason for suppliers allowing one-third of a penny for every per cent, below 10 is to make them pay some attention at least to their cows, for no properly kept dairy of cows will give so low a per centage as 10. And for paying 9-lOths of a penny for every additional per cent, of cream above 10 is to induce fanners to keep the very best of cows, for a. well - bred and a well-fed dairy of cows will average not less than 13 per cent, of cream to the gallon throughout the factory season, and if special attention is paid to them they will average considerably more. Another reason for giving 9-40 th of a penny for each per cent, of cream above 10 instead of a farthing, is that a company will get the same amount of skim milk from a gallon of 10 per cent, as they will from 15 per cent, milk. The suppliers on being paid according to per centage of cream, would receive for their milk per gallon as follows: JTorlO percent, milk, 2Jd; for 11, 2 29-40 th ; for 12, 2 19-20 th ; and for 13 percent., 3 7-40 th, &c. I think the following results may be confidentally expected by a company who buy milk under the forementioned method. I will suppose, Mr Editor, a factory is started, and that there is an average supply of 650 gallons daily, and that the average per centage of cream is 12, and 271bs of 12 per cent, milk will produce lib of butter. I think the company can safely calculate on getting tenpence for their butter. Now, let ub 6ee what the result of four weeks' operations will be :— £ s d. CSO gallons daily will be 15,000 gallons for the month, which, at 2 l'J-20tbs of a penny per (fallen, will be ... 19115 0 The cost of manufacturing would not exceed (for the month) 20 0 0 The cost of coals would not exceed (for tho month) 6 0 0 And for salt, loss on boxes, &c. (for the month) 12 10 0 Total cost of production 230 5 0 As I have already stated, 271bs. of 12 per cent, milk will produce lib. of butter; consequently 15,000 gallons will produce b'o66'§ lbs. of butter. £ s. d. 600631b5, of butter, at 10d per lb., equals 252 15 61 Value of skim milk kept by the Factory Company 2 0 0 Total receipts for the month ... 254 15 63 Fron- which deduct total cost of production, viz., 230 5 0 Which leaves a profit for the month's operations of 24 10 6J Or, for the season of 8 months ... 196 4 5J And, supposing the subscribed capital to be £1,200, it would pay a dividend to the shareholders of 10 per cent, and leave a balance of £76 4s for insurance, depreciation, and other contingencies. I wonder, Mr Editor, how long it will be before our farmeis will learn co-operation, pure and simple, and, instead of soiling their milk to speculators for the very unremunerative price that they offer, will run their own factories and save tho rnirlriini- ..n'a profit, which is the Kernel, leaving only the husk i for l.iio farmer.—-I am, kc,