20 



DAIKYING IN VICTORIA. 



[Sept. 1894. 



VII.— DAIRYING IN VICTORIA. 



According to the Victorian Year-Book for 1893, the annual 

 quantity of milk yielded by milch cows in Victoria is considered 

 on the average not to exceed 290 gallons for each cow, or about 

 four-fifths of a gallon per diem. The yield of cream usually 

 varies from 8 to 15 per cent, (by measure), and that of butter- 

 fat from 2 1 to 5 per cent, (by weight), which is equivalent to 

 from 3|- to If gallons of milk to every pound of butter ; whilst 

 3*5 per cent, or 2*7 gallons to the pound of butter is considered 

 a fair average, although in exceptional cases it rises as high as 

 54 per cent., equivalent to 1"6 gallons per pound. In the butter 

 factories about 12 per cent, of cream and 2 J gallons of milk to 

 every pound of butter — equivalent to nearly 3| (3 "7 2) per 

 cent, of butter-fat — is the usual yield ; but it is asserted that 

 the richness of milk sent to factories is below the average. It 

 is estimated that to obtain a given quantity of butter, about 11 

 per cent, more milk is required by the hand skimming than by 

 the separator process, and a. further allowance should be made of, 

 say, 6 per cent., to cover losses of cream in hot weather, hence it 

 follows that it would take 2*9 gallons of milk, such as is used 

 in factories, to produce one pound of hand-made butter. It is 

 stated that the best results are obtained from cows fed on green 

 feed in its natural state, or made into pit-chaffed ensilage. The 

 following is an estimate of the quantity and value of the dairy 

 produce of the Colony for 1892-3, based on returns furnished 

 and on the assumed yield of milk : — 



Quantity and Value of Dairy Produce of Victoria, 



1892-3. 



Yield of Milk. 



Gallons 

 of Milk. 



Value. 



Consumed in its natural state, at 8d. per gallon 



Made into butter (2f gallons to the lb.) =27,036,300 lbs. 



of butter at 9d. per lb. - 

 Made into cheese (1 gallon to the lb.) = 5,071,250 lbs. 



of cheese at 6d. per lb. - 



41,560,250 

 74,349,830 

 5,071,250 



1,385,340 

 1,013,860 

 126,780 



Total 



120,981,330 



2,525,980 



The number of butter and cheese factories returned as being 

 in operation in 1892-3 was 109, of which 86 were exclusively 

 for butter, 14 for cheese only, and 9 for both products. The 

 total number of establishments existing in the previous year was 

 74. The majority of the factories employed steam-power. The 



