Willowby, which is on the railway line six miles from Ashburton, is one of the best agricultural districts in Ashburton county. Field pipes have been largely used for draining the land, which is suitable for growing cereals and for grazing. The wheat crops average about forty bushels to the acre, and oats have been known to yield eighty bushels. There is a post office at Willowby, a Wesleyan church, and a public school with forty-two names on the roll. The nearest telegraph office is three miles distant, at Winslow.

Willowby Dairy Factory (Henry Osborne, proprietor), Willowby. This factory, which is situated in the centre of a rich agricultural district on Ford's Road, is complete in every particular. It was specially designed, and is built of brick with concrete floors. The receiving platform, which is about eleven feet from the ground, has a convenient hoist for lifting the heavy cans to the platform, where they are emptied into the weighing cistern, which is placed on one of Fairbank's patent scales. This cistern is connected with a large wooden tank, in which the milk is allowed to mature before being run through the Swedish pasteuriser, which is of the latest pattern, and has a capacity of 130 gallons per hour. The cream is then separated by an Alpha-Laval separator, with a similar capacity, and transferred from the separator to one of the latest page 850 box-pattern churns, which is capable of turning out 200lbs at a churning. From the churn it is placed on a revolving butter table, where it is salted and worked to free it from water, after which it is ready for packing. A three-horse power steam engine, which has a room to itself, is used for driving the machinery and pumping the water. The whole factory has an ample supply of water, and it is at once apparent that Mr. Osborne is carrying cut the work in a thorough manner.

Mr. Henry Osborne, Proprietor, was born on Banks' Peninsula, and was brought up on his father's farm at Tai Tapu. He visited England in 1885, and some months after his return he went to the North Island in search of a farm. Finding the climate unsuitable to his tastes he returned, and was engaged on contract farm work for some time. In 1897 he settled on the farm he now occuples, and which belongs to his father. He combines grain growing with dairy farming and for some years has been a large supplier of milk to the Flemington cheese factory. Mr. Osborne had attempted on several occasions to get an up-to-date butter factory started in the district, but without success. He decided, therefore, in 1901, to build one himself, and thus became the founder and owner of the first butter factory in the county of Ashburton.

Mitchell, photo.
Mr. H. Osborne.

Cass, Alfred, General, Blacksmith, corner of Boundary and Ford's Roads, Willowby. Mr. Cass is a son of Mr. Francis Cass, who arrived in New Zealand by the ship “Lancashire Witch.” He was born in West Melton, Canterbury, and educated at Wakanui, where he learned his trade. Mr. Cass went to Lauriston for a short time, and then to Ashburton, where he was employed by Messrs P. and D. Duncan, and gained considerable experience in connection with agricultural machinery. In 1894 Mr. Cass acquired his present business, which he has carried on successfully ever since. In his large workshop he has two forges, and the necessary machinery for his trade, including a powerful oil engine. The business includes shoeing, coach-building, wheelwright work, and agricultural implement making, and repairing.