22 EDUCATION IN DAIRY FARMING, AND 



If we venture to point out how working dairies may be im- 

 proved and their influence increased, we should suggest that 

 they should be constructed so that, whatever shape the building 

 may be, the enclosure itself should be circular. The present 

 system entirely prevents those at the corners either hearing 

 or seeing when the dairy is large. With regard to the work 

 conducted, the programme should be drawn up by an exj^ert, 

 and carried out under his charge. The floor should not be 

 covered with implements which are not actually used, nor should 

 the friends of officials be admitted during demonstrations and 

 lectures, both alike disturbing those engaged and obstructing 

 the view or hearing of the public. Having assisted in all parts 

 of the country, we are too well acquainted with the necessity of 

 carrying out clear rules in a rigorous manner. Again, the prizes 

 are too often awarded to butter which is too new to judge 

 instead of to the work of the operator. A skilled judge would 

 prefer to see a person work if he purposed engaging him himself ; 

 but butter, which is perfectly sweet when quite new, is often 

 made up by working with the naked hand or with a cloth, which 

 is equally disagreeable, or indeed the operator may display 

 entire ignorance of the rules of good butter-making which a 

 judge at once detects if he sees the operation. Instead of 

 making awards by points for texture, colour, flavour, and tveight 

 of butter, the features to be considered should be (1) knowledge 

 of butter-making as evinced by the work of the competitor, (2) 

 expedition, expertness, and cleanliness, (3) the quality of the 

 butter itself. To award prizes to weight is to encourage the 

 most objectionable of all practices — bad washing in the churn 

 and bad working ; in the one case curd is left in the butter, and 

 in the other Avater, both contributing to add weight ; thus, 

 instead of 7 per cent, of water and a trace of curd, we have 

 perhaps 18 or 20 jDor cent, of the one and 4 per cent, of the 

 other. Again, we consider that public demonstrations or com- 

 parative experiments in raising cream by the leading systems 

 should form a feature in every working dairy. There is no branch 

 of the work which so readily and so fully shows the practical 

 farmer how much money he is losing by his primitive practice ; 

 but the work should be well done and thoroughly explained. 

 Lastly, we can see no reason why the British public should not 

 receive instruction by demonstration in cheese-making, includ- 

 ing those leading foreign varieties which find an important sale 

 in this country, such as the Dutch (Edam and Gouda), the 

 Gorgonzola, and the Gruyere. 



Dairy Institute and Experiinent Station. 



At the annual meeting of the British Dairy Farmers' Association 

 in March 1886, we projjosed that an institute should be founded 



