CHAPTER III. 



DAIRY BUILDINGS. 



Owing to the scattered population in the farming districts of 

 this colony, for some years to come most of the milk will be 

 separated on the farm, and either the cream churned there or sent 

 to a factory. This being so, it will be necessary to have a dairy of 

 some kind to keep the cream in, and the cooler the dairy can be 

 kept in summer the better will be the result in making the butter. 

 \pensive plans have been recommended, but none I have 

 seen answer better than those I will describe, and the buildings are 

 cheap and easily constructed. One kind is built above ground of 

 either weather-boards, slabs, stone r sun-dried bricks. A 

 convenient size for the produce of a small herd is 12 feet by 

 which leaves plenty of room to store the cream and move about. 

 The walls eight feet high, and the roof should have a good pitch, 

 the length of the rafters being, say, three-fourths the width of the 

 building. The dairy should be ceiled with tongued and grooved 

 soft wood if available, if not, hard wood can be used, but it should 

 be lined with calico to prevent dust dropping down. In both gables, 

 above the ceiling, there should be louvre windows or shutters that 

 can be opened or shut at will, so that after a hot day. if a cool 

 breeze comes at night, the cool air may be allowed to circulate 

 over the ceiling. In the dairy there should be two windows, and 

 these lined with wire gauze to keep out insects. If the windows 

 are hinged, so much the better, as -when required to be opened they 

 wifl allow the greater draught. The windows should be of such a 

 size as will allow the light to get in and keep the dairy bright and 

 cheery. Sunlight is a splendid disinfectant, and no dairy should be 

 kept dark. Another reason for having the dairy bright is, that dirt 

 and all kinds of offensive matter may be seen at once. If the dairy 

 is dark it will rarely be kept as clean as it ought to be. The floor, 

 where possible, should be of stone, concrete or bricks, with a fall in 

 one direction, so that it may be thoroughly washed and easily dried. 



nail gutter running along the low side with an exit through the 

 wall will be found to answer well, as then plenty of water can be used 

 and get away freely. The roof should be of shingles, or if they are not 

 available and good bark can be obtained, it will answer the purpose. 



erandah all round the dairy will add much towards keeping it 

 cool. A building erected as above would not of itself keep cool in 

 the hot weather, but to obtain that result quick growing creeping 

 plants should be planted all around and trained right up over the 



