FIRST CENTURY OF DAIRYING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



in the city and suburbs of Sydney, the agriculturists and pastoralists 

 soon discovered that the tastes of these non-producing consumers had 

 to be seriously considered. The class of food that would be eaten 

 with a relish by one generation will not suit another generation ; 

 hence the question of food supply, with its attendant chain* of varia- 

 tions, began to affect the food producers of New South Wales, par- 

 ticularly the Illawarra and Shoalhaven Valley districts, where a larg? 

 percentage of the fresh milk, cream, and butter was being drawn for 

 the Sydney market supplies in the middle eighties. 



It is said that the watchword of progress is "more enlightened 

 utilisation of our resources in every branch' of human economy, in 

 the factory, in the municipality, and on the farm." If so. progression 

 in this line in connection with butter -factories since 1881 all along 

 the south-eastern coast of New South Wales has been extensive and 

 multiform. Thousands upon thousands of pounds have been (and 

 apparently it has not yet attained its limit) wasted to please faddists 

 or to comply with the designs of those who were devising schemes 

 for their own ends at the expense of the farmers. 



There are many reasons why the old methods of dairying should 

 give place to newer systems, notably the necessity of exporting 

 our surplus foodstuffs. But no reason can be assigned worthy of 

 notice for neglecting the improvement of our cultivation and pasture 

 lands. The crimimal neglect, therefore, of our soils must ever remain 

 as a national crime chargeable against those responsible. " The ap 

 petite grows on what it feeds." Owing to the final adoption of the 

 factory system of butter making which may be stated took place 

 when the 'two Jamberoo factories, Waughope and Woodstock, \\cro 

 opened during the months of October and November, 1887 the busi- 

 ness of the farmers were very naturally limited to the production and 

 sale of the raw materials. Beyond supplying the wants of their own 

 families they soon found that they could not afford to enter the 

 markets in competition with the manufactured and finished article. 

 True, many of the more up-to-date dairymen put up a good fight <for 

 a few years ; but they finally fell in line with the others. 



It was not a matter as to whether the factory could make, on an 

 average, better ar.d cheaper butter and cheese than could be pro- 

 duced on the farm dairies, or whether the bacon factory could pro- 

 duce better bacon and hams and more saleable smoked meats than 

 that obtained from the farmer's curing bench and smokehouse. The 

 fact of the matter was the tastes of the consumers at home ard 

 abroad caught on to these articles of diet fresh from the respective 

 factories, and that taste has since obtained. Although there is much 

 to be said in favour of the factory system oi dairying, there are two 

 important items which never should be lost sight rf in connection 

 with the earlier factory methods. For years the milk was carted to 

 the factory from the cow-bails, and after being separated the skim 

 milk was carted back again to feed the pigs and calves of the farm. 

 The pooling of the milk at the factory, and the difficulties of obtain- 

 ing it at the skim milk vat in even fair condition were numerous and 

 varied. It was, therefore, beyond all doubt the main cause in dis- 

 seminating disease among herds that had previously been free from 

 disease of any sort whatever. 



The second, and not the least important item in connection with 

 the factory system, was the loss, to a great extent, of the pig in- 

 dustry to the dairv farmers. The Danes, however, nnde great ad- 

 vnnces in pig feeding and hrce ling umlc" the factory system. Their 

 system consists in supplying .1 large proportion of nitro-reriised 

 materials in the feeding. This is said to rmkc the fat more solid and 

 better varied with lean, and the bacon fn-m Mich ;i -y>tem of feeding 

 will not shrink in the Hvliii'.:. 



80. 



