034 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



opportunity to test the various exhibits and make comparisons for 

 themselves. The judges attended to explain the differences and 

 indicate the faults l)oth in butter and in cheese, the unsuccessful 

 competit(n's thus gaining more information than even their successful 

 rivals, discussion being full and free. The verdict of the judges was 

 universally accepted. Unlike here the Government experts do the 

 whole of the judging at these shows, and the instructional value of 

 this public demonstration is very great. In addition to dairy 

 machinery and products, fruit, home industries, seeds, farm root 

 products, vegetables, poultry and school's competitions were all 

 represented. These shows were really started by the National Dairy 

 Associations in conjunction with a centrally located Agricultural and 

 Pastoral Society, and under the auspices of the Department of Agri- 

 culture, I would strongly recommend the holding of a similar show 

 in Victoria, by the Royal Agricultural Society for preference. 



Manufacture of Dried Milk. 



During the currency of the show the hrm holding the New Zealand 

 and Australian rights for the manufacture of dried milk ran a crowded 

 special train from Palmerston North to their factory at Makino, some 

 17 miles out, where this product was manufactured. Messrs. Nathan 

 and Co. have gone to considerable expense in installing machinery, 

 as extensive boiler power and a great deal of fuel are required. The 

 machine itself consists of a very strong cast iron frame with parallel 

 rollers I'esting on bearings, the drums being about one-eighth of an inch 

 apart. Steam is connected through the shaft, which is hollow, by 

 means of a pipe and ordinary packing glands, the outlet being through 

 the other axle, which is similarly mounted. The cylinders are 5 feet 

 long and 28 inches in diameter, and have a perfectly smooth surface; 

 40 lbs. of steam were indicated, and the rollers revolved inversely 

 7i times per minute by means of a mechanical attachment. The milk 

 was fed with perforated pipes about one foot above the rollers and 

 dropped on them in a straight shower. All the moisture in the milk 

 evaporated and was carried away through a large pipe leading from 

 a cowl over the apparatus. Less than one revolution brought the 

 roller in contact with the knives, which were htted by set screws, 

 so as to shave the surface without touching the metal too hard. From 

 these knives fell away continuous sheets of dried milk resembling 

 cream-coloured crimped tissue paj)er. On falling into a box this 

 paper-like sitbstance broke to pieces, being afterwards scooped into 

 a primitive wooden drum fitted with beaters, which broke it down to 

 vei'y fine powder. This product, which is sterile, may be turned into 

 new milk again by the addition of seven parts of hot water. The 

 new reconstituted milk tastes just like pasteurised milk, cream rises 

 to the top, and it behaves in an exactly similar manner to ordinary 

 milk. In fact some of it had been put through a separator, the cream 

 ripened, and butter made from it in the usual Avay. Very little is 

 known as yet as to the practical utility or commercial value of dried 

 milk, although numerous experiments are being conducted in various 



