58 EDUCATION IN DAIRY FARMING, AND 



the year 1881 Dr Kramer of Zurich was ordered to visit other 

 countries, and report upon the measures taken by their respec- 

 tive governments in the creation of institutions for the ameliora- 

 tion of agriculture. He reported upon France, Prussia, Saxony, 

 Bavaria, Wurtemburg, Baden, Austria, and Italy. In the first 

 part of his report he treated upon the diffusion of agricultural 

 science and the organisation of schools, of agricultural experi- 

 ments, and of the establishment of model farms, and particularly 

 of the dairy industry. In the second part the leading features 

 were with regard to the establishment of a minister of agricul- 

 ture, of the perfection of agricultural statistics, of the improve- 

 ment of the Federal Polytechnic School by means of scholar- 

 ships, and of special instruction in the dairy industry by means 

 of special subventions to winter schools, for the establishment of 

 agricultural stations, and for prizes for farm stock. In Switzer- 

 land the cantons are self-governing in matters such as agricul- 

 ture, and they were therefore invited by the central Government 

 to report upon the suggestions made in the message with a view 

 of carrying out those which were found to be the most bene- 

 ficial. It appears that by the constitution of the Swiss Con- 

 federation the Government can only interfere in agricultural 

 matters in a few instances, such as the surveillance of forests, 

 of sporting in the mountains, and with regard to sanitary con- 

 trol with reference to live stock and disease. The Confederation 

 has no right to interfere in other matters. From year to year, 

 however, the sums of money, which are granted voluntarily, 

 have augmented from 4000 francs in 1859 to 200,000 francs in 

 1884, and in almost every case it is required that the cantonal 

 governments shall themselves grant equivalent sums to those 

 which they have received. Complaints were made that the 

 dairy industry received no attention in the chief government 

 school at Zurich, and consequently scholarships were instituted 

 for the instruction of persons who would themselves become 

 teachers of dairy work. In Switzerland such men are badly 

 paid, and many cantons and agricultural societies in their replies 

 deplore the poverty of the instructors in dairy and other schools. 

 The message continues, that with regard to dairy farming it is 

 necessary for the Swiss to maintain their position in a branch 

 which is their specialiU, and which is an industr}^ indicated to 

 them by the nature of their soil and their climate, and it 

 proposed to create further dairy stations, especially those con- 

 nected with practice in the milk industry, and in the practice 

 and theory of cheese-making. We find, upon the authority of 

 Dr Kramer, that the money spent by the governments of the 

 undermentioned countries is in the following ratio per thousand 

 persons, and per square kilometre of land utilised for the pur- 

 poses of agriculture : — 



