FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2543, 27 October 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Jursf.y Milk.—lt is a fact, says an American contemporary, that the only uiilksellers who use glass pints or quarts in which to sell milk are those who keep Jersey cows. In a glass measure, the amount of cream reveals itself and reconciles the customers to the additional cent, or two per pint at which the milk is charged. Those uiilksellers who vend the milk of other breeds prefer an earthenware, or even a tin measure. Then the buyer only sees tho top, aud does not care about the quality, quantity is all that he looks for—i.e. that the measure is full.

Grasshoppers is Victoria.—lt is to be regretted that grasshoppers are already making their appearance in the earlier districts. A farmer at Diggora looking at his crop after a shower observed something moving therein. Curiosity led him to investigate, aud much to his snppriso and regret, he found that the softening influence of the rain had beon the means of unearthing thousands of yeung grasshoppers or locusts. " Taking out my knife," says he, •' I dug into the ground and found it like honeycomb, aud containing thousands more of the dreaded insects.' 1

Sale op Canadian Cattle at Aberdeen. —The cargo of Canadian cattle imported into Aberdeen last week by the Canadian Cattle Company was sold on Friday. Thero was a good demand, and the whole lot of 38G head found purchasers, The total sum realised was £6101 10s, which, it is calculated, will be fairly remunerative to the Company. Tho average price was £15 lGs, the highest figure got being £21, and the lowest £12. The animals had been carefully selected, and were mostly of a superior class. Arrangements have been made for importing four more cargoes in the course of the season from Canada, and the first will ariive in about a fortnight. The Farmers and the Millers : Another Injustice to the Farmers.— ( The greatest dissatisfaction is prevailing among the farmers in Riverina, Australia, at the millers having decided to weigh their wheat sacks in as wheat, and pay for it accordingly. This means a penny for tho price of the bag, whereas when they buy them from the millers the charge is 7s to Ss 0d per dozen. It is understood that all the farmers will join together in a protest against this charge. Everyone is prepared to buy his bags, but expects the miller to return them after the season. People do not intend to give iu to what is regarded as a most unfair procedure, and which, in fact, amounts to handing over a cheque for £20 or £30 to the miller every year.

A New Somerset Dairy Factory.— A dairy factory, to be conducted on the co-operative system, has just been opened at Clayhidon, Somerset. It is intended for the manufacture of butter from milk supplied to the company for the purpose by the neighbouring agriculturists, and at the request of a number of share-

holders, a milling department, in connection with which grain will be bought in bulk and ground oil the premises, has been added. The company have leased the premises on a long term. They arc lilted up with a six-horse power steam engine, a milling room for grinding barley, separating and butter apparatus, &e. The butter is never touched by hand during the process of manufacture. The undertaking appears lo be well supported in the district, and promises to be very successful.

Co.xoKN'SEiJ Miuc Factories : A Good Prune [''on Milk.—A project is on foot For esl ablishing condensed milk factories in Gipp-hind. Mi' Newnhinn, formerly of the Jiomsey factory, his been lecturing at .Sale and Tinambra on the subject to appreciative audiences, who, at both places, have expressed their intention of starting factories. Mr Newnham pointed out tile profits that might be derived fioai tho sale of condensi-d milk, and told his audiences that tho new- butter factories are not going to pay in the manner many suppose. They will save the great losses that have taken pi hoc in the past, but if they wished to have good profits they must, get further than a house and butter, and go inlo condensed milk, lie said the factory could alfoi'd to pay Id in the summer, /id in the spring and autumn and 7d in winter per gallon for milk, and then pay good dividends besides.

Dairy Kamunb ix Nokmaxdy.— In an essay just published, Mr A. Watt gives [i description of dairy farming in Normandy and Brittany, based upon his personal observations in those districts. It lias been the fashion very much lately to extol the Norman dairy farmers at the expense of those in this country, but Mr Watt by no means follows that practice, tie speaks of the bad cultivation of the land under small holdings, and of the penurious life of many of the farmers, while he says a large proportion of the dairies are not a bit in advance of the ordinary English dairy. Besides, as a reviewer remarks, he undeceives the London consumer, who thinks he gets pure butter from a neat dairy homestead ill Normandy, and explains that all kinds of butter are brought up from the dairies, taken to the factories, classified into three kinds, put th.'ough the butter-mill, and other apparatus, aud thoroughly mixed, worked, and almost re made, so that to the skill of the factory man, and not to the farmer, is due that uniformity for which there is at present so strong a demand in the London market.

Prol'Kssor Carroll ox CiikeskMaking.— L'rosessor Carroll of Glasnerin recently delivered a lecture at a meeting of the North Wilts Dairy .Fanners' Association, iu the course of which he said : — ' I think it will ho found that the making on the" factory system" hits of late years {riven a return of about, 7d per gallon for the milk produced and sent to the factory. This for a COO gallon yi f Id of milk per cow per annum would give £17 10< per cow. To produce this, great care in the management nf the factory is required, and economical management and skilful treatment of the products. 1 understand that at Lord Vernon's factory the farmers are satisfied with a price of 5d per gallon for milk supplied to the fartory. A question for the Wilt-hire farmers would bo whether they should adopt a factory system of ch rose-making or obtaiu instruction in the making of cheese on such systems as have shown irood results iu other counties, such as the Cheddar, Cheshire, or Stilton. I feel every confidence in expressing my opinion that the days of profitable cheese-making have not passed for England, and that with improved pratico good results will yet be had.'

Rancid Bdtter.— The tendency of butter to become rancid is the most commonly known of all the failures in battermaking. The rancidity originates in the butter which is iu contact with the wood of the tub, and spreads into the interior until the whole contents of the firkin are spoiled. The progress can easily be ascertained from time to time by the butter tester. It was at first supposed that the rancidity of butter was caused by its coming iu contact with the staves of tubs, it bfiug believed that the butter would absorb some substance from the wood that would give it this flavour. The spoiling was therefore attributed entirely to the mismanagement in the preparation of the tubs. Undoubtedly a bad tub may favour rancidity, but it is not the only cause, the quality of the butter having very much to do with it. A good quality either never becomes rancid, or, at any rate, is much less liablo to do so than an inferior article, and therefore here also care in the production is the best way to guard against this failure. The fact that the rancidity commences at the outside is due to air coming in contact with it there and decoinpo«ing it, or, at any rate, causing free butyric acid to be formed. Carefully soaking and drying the tubs and thoroughly sprinkling the sides with salt before packing the butter, and then storing it in a dry, cool place, are good safeguards against this failure.

Butter-Making in B hit a in- and the Colonies. — Why is it (asks the Australian Times anil Anglo-New Zealander) that the annual importation of butter into thi3 country should reach the prodigious total of 115,000 tons? If British farmers can produce 90,000 tons a year, why can't they supply the total consumption of the kingdom, which exceeds -05,000 tons per annum ? With the largest market for butter in the world at their doors it seems extraordinary that British farmers should quietly permit it to be captured by producers in Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, and in a minor degree the United States, Canada, and Australasia. The secret of the success of the fereigners is that they send into the market abutter exactly the same colour, flavour, and texture — uniform in every respect. Europe consumes 681,000 tons of butter every year, but only produces 651,000, being a deficiency of 30,000 tons. At present the American and Canadian consumption is 374,000 tons, while their production is 404,000 tons so that there are 30,000 tons available for export. But experts declare that the supply of butter will soon be unequal to the demand in the States. In fact, last year Canada and the States only sent 52,000 cwt. to the English market. It seems to be admitted that Australasiau butter is as good as Danish, and consignments received from New Zealand when in proper condition are sold up to 112s, and even 120s per cwt. wholesale. Unfortunately the cargoes are variable in quality and colour. The butter is often mottled, and shows streaks of white, a defect which depreciates the value 10d or 15s per cwt. The New Zealand Government recognise the importance of supplying technical education on dairying subjects and are seeking to engage a competent teacher to go to the colony.