APRIL IN THE DAIRY. HINTS ON CHEESEMAKING.
April marks the commencement of the busy season in the dairy, and all preparations for the season’s activities should be completed without delay. It is usually more convenient to have the dairy apparatus overhauled during the winter months and any necessary repairs made. The usual spring cleaning and lime washing of the dairy premises should also be done before the warm weather arrives. All worn and defective utensils should be discarded, the use of such being anything but an economy. When purchasing new apparatus careful consideration should be given to the matter, so that the article selected shall be the most suitable for the purpose. The chief points to be considered are strength and simplicity of construction. The former ensures long life against heavy wear and tear, and the latter facilitates the effective cleansing so essential for all apparatus employed in the handling of milk.
The equipment required in the dairy naturally depends upon the amount of milk to be dealt with and the method of utilising the milk. Milk selling has become increasingly popular in recent years, and the demand for fresh milk is much greater, though it is estimated that the average consumption of milk per head of the population is only about onethird of a pint daily. More attention is being given to the production and handling of the milk supply in order to produce a reliable article with good keeping qualities; but there is still plenty of room for improvement.
MILK-PRODUCING COSTS.
The cost of production varies a great deal, and there is no doubt that milk often costs far too much to produce. The keeping of milk records is an advantage, as by this means it is possible to eliminate cows which do not produce sufficient milk to pay for their keep. While there are a number of cows giving upwards of 1,000 gallons per year there must be many more giving less than 500 gallons annually. The cost of food and the labour required is little more for a cow producing a large quantity of milk, while the difference in the return is very considerable. Unless the cost of production is known, it is impossible to be sure that the milk is being produced economically; therefore the farmer should be in a position to tell what the milk is costing him. Where milk is retailed the production of Grade A or special milk is worth considering. A higher price is realised, and the cost of the necessary apparatus is not great. As a rule, existing buildings can be adapted to comply with the requirements, and it should be remembered that more depends upon the care and attention given to the handling of the milk and everything connected with it than on costly and elaborate equipment. Up to the present time the British farmer has had the monopoly of the fresh milk trade, but condensed and dried milk is imported in considerable quantity.
The amount of butter and cheese produced in this country is quite inadequate to our requirements, and the greater proportion of these commodities is imported. There is no doubt that butter and cheese can be more economically produced on a large scale than when made in small quantities as on farms. It is also of more uniform quality, though not usually so fine in quality. In some parts of the country co-operative cheese schools have been established to deal with the milk produced by the farmers of the surrounding districts. Although butter and cheese making do not give such good cash returns as milk selling, and also entail more labour, there are many farms at a distance from a town or railway station where the sale of milk is out of the question.
The milk is converted into butter or cheese and the by-products used for stock on the farm. It should be the aim of the farmer in these circumstances to produce butter or cheese of really firstclass quality. There, is always a market for it, and people will readily pay a good price for a superior article. When second-rate and inferior produce is turned out it cannot compete with that made in creameries or imported, and consequently the price realised is very poor.
CAREFUL PACKING.
For butter-making, cows which give milk rich in fat are most suitable, as the yield of butter is greater, and it is usually of finer quality and flavour. Cows of the Channel Islands breeds are the most economical butter-producers, and one or two of these cows in a herd of Shorthorns improve the colour of the butter considerably. Cream which is properly ripened yields more butter than when churned in a sweet or fresh condition, and attention must be given to the churning process, as such factors as temperature, speed of churning, thickness of the cream, &c., all influence the amount and quality of the butter produced.
In spring and early summer there is always a surplus of milk, and this may often be profitably converted into soft cheese, such as cream, Gervais, Coloummer, or Pont l’eveque. The equipment required for making soft cheese on a small scale is not costly, and the work is very interesting, and not laborious. Appearance and careful packing are of the greatest importance, badly made and carelessly packed soft cheese having a most uninviting appearance. If preferred, cheese of the smallholder-type may be made, or one of the smaller varieties of pressed cheese.
The cheesemaker on a farm has the advantage of being able to control the handling of the milk from the time it leaves the cow, and milk which has not lost its animal heat is better for cheesemaking than that which has travelled some distance. At a creamery or factory the cheesemaker has to deal with milk produced under varying conditions and which may or may not be clean and free from taints, &c. The importance of the purity of the milk used for cheesemaking cannot be over-estimated.
There are numerous varieties of cheese made in this country, some of which are peculiar to certain districts, and it is usually advisable to make the cheese common to the district, as it is likely to be most suitable for the local conditions of soil and pasture, and the market facilities are usually better.