DAIRYING IN EUROPE AND AMERICA. 95 



known as the ' Land Scrip Donation,' which was passed in 1862. 

 The enactment of the law is as follow^s : — ' Be it enacted, &c., — 

 That there be granted to the several States, for the purposes 

 hereinafter mentioned, an amount of public land to be appor- 

 tioned to each State, a quantity equal to 30,000 acres for each 

 senator or representative in Congress to w^hich the States are 

 respectively entitled by the apportionment under the census of 

 1860 ; provided that no mineral lands shall be selected or 

 purchased under the provisions of this Act.' This law has been 

 availed of by many States colleges, not agricultural in character, 

 in establishing chairs of agriculture." 



Major Alvord furnishes us with considerable information, 

 much of which amply confirms that given by other corre- 

 spondents. He knows of no fully-equipped dairy school as we 

 understand it in England, although in some cases special atten- 

 tion is given, and provision made for dairy instruction, at the 

 agricultural colleges. He also mentions that, at the Ontario 

 college at Guelph, there is a special working creamery, to which 

 the students have access, and in which they take part. The 

 same is the case at the agricultural college at Hanover, New 

 Hampshire, and the State college, Mississippi. At Cornell 

 university there is a special dairy building for illustration and 

 experiment, but this is only used a few months in the 3^ear, when 

 the classes are considering the subject. 



A practical dairy school, as it is termed, has been opened by 

 Mr Valentine at Houghton Farm, New York, which under 

 Professor Alvord was an experiment station. I learn that it is 

 backed by an erratic but wealthy man, and doubts are enter- 

 tained whether it will remain open long. The teacher is a very 

 capable woman, who makes good butter, and is somewhat expert 

 in fancy cheese-making, but there is no attempt to combine 

 theoretical study or experimental inquiry. Mr Valentine him- 

 self informs us that his teacher is a trained Swedish dairymaid 

 of large experience and " first-class quality." The school was 

 only openecl in December, but numbers of inquiries have been 

 received from persons desiring to enter. Mr Valentine believes 

 that he will catch some scholars, and do some good work in a 

 pioneer way. He adds that it takes a long time to wake 

 people up, even to avail themselves of their own privileges. 



Major Alvord continues, that another form of instruction is 

 that of the employment of experts, who go from factory to 

 factory to criticise the work and to illustrate improved methods. 

 Professor Arnold was at one time employed in this way, and, like 

 his successor, was largely engaged in Canada. This winter too, 

 the farmers' institutes in Wisconsin have been varied by the 

 introduction of butter-making demonstrations under the super- 

 vision of Mr John Gould, " who is a good practical dairyman." 

 Working dairies have also been made a feature at agricultural 



