THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



553 



Annual Dairy Report. 



By E. 0. Challis, Dairy Expert. 

 PART II. 



Creameries. 

 aUFFlOIENT time has now elapsed, 

 since the two Creameries in the Colony 

 first started operations, to form some idea 

 as to whether they are successful and are 

 likely to be successful in the future. 



I think it can be confidently stated that 

 both Creameries are decidedly a success, 

 and I see no reason why they should not 

 be even more so in future' years. The 

 Natal Co-operative Creamery is to be 

 congratulated on being able, in its first 

 year's working, to declare a 7 per 

 cent, dividend, and also, in addition 

 to this, to offer a bonus to all suppliers of 

 milk and cream. Few companies are 

 able to do this on their first year's output ; 

 but it must be remembered that the Natal 

 Creamery had an abnormal year on ac- 

 count of the large supplies the military 

 hospitals required, the very keen demand 

 for Dairy Products, and the exceptionally 

 high prices paid. Of course this abnormal 

 demand for Dairy Produce, and the some- 

 what fictitious prices paid cannot go on 

 for ever, and the future management of 

 the Creamery will therefore require the 

 careful attention of the Directors, and 

 every effort will have to be made to 

 largely increase the Creamery's output, 

 and thus appreciably reduce the working 

 expenses. 



It has been found necessary at both 

 Creameries to considerably increase the 

 existing machinery and Dairy plant, and 

 the Directors of the Natal Creamery have 

 also decided to add largely to their present 

 building. 



This necessity for increased machinery, 

 etc., I look upon as a very healthy sign, 

 as it shows that the outputs of both 

 Creameries are on the increase, larger and 

 more powerful machinery having to be 

 obtained to deal with the increased work. 



I have heard a good deal of criticism 

 expressed, both directly and indirectly, 

 to the effect that the machinery and Dairy 

 plant at the Natal Creamery was not 

 satifactory, also as to why I had not ad- 

 vised the Directors in the initial stage to 



put in a more powerful plant, and erect a 

 building sufficiently large to meet all con- 

 tingencies. As far as the building is con- 

 cerned I did advise the erection of one 

 with larger dimensions, as can be 

 proved by the original plans of the 

 architects. But at the time when 

 this Creamery movement first started, 

 there was so much scepticism amongst 

 the farmers as to its ultimate success that 

 it was found very difficult to secure suffi- 

 cient capital to start operations. This 

 being so, the original plan of the Creamery 

 had to be altered, and the dimensions of 

 the rooms considerably reduced in order 

 that the somewhat limited capital at the 

 disposal of the Directors might not be 

 exceeded. 



With regard to the Dairy plant and 

 machinery, it must not be forgotten that 

 when the Natal Creamery first started 

 operations, it was intended only to pur- 

 chase cream from the farmers and con- 

 vert the same into butter, and I can confi- 

 dently state, without fear of contradiction, 

 that the existing machinery and plant are 

 perfectly capable of dealing with all the 

 cream that can possibly be collected and 

 brought there to be dealt with. But very 

 soon after the Creamery started working, 

 it was found, through the presence of the 

 military, that a large demand for fresh 

 milk was created, and naturally the 

 Creamery took advantage of this demand 

 and undertook to supply the military 

 hospitals with milk. As the demands for 

 milk increased, so the suppliers of milk 

 to the Creamery increased, and the direc- 

 tors had to deal with the problem of how 

 they were to utilize the present building 

 and machinery in treating three or four 

 hundred gallons of milk per day. To 

 tackle this problem, the first step to be 

 taken was to procure an up-to-date Pas- 

 teurizing plant. This having been done, 

 it was soon apparent that the available 

 steam and refrigerating power at the dis- 

 posal of the Creamery was inadequate to 

 cope with the extra strain put upon it. 

 It is a well-known fact that, when three 



