94 EDUCATION IN DAIRY FARMING, AND 



most valuable time for a good object, a feature which is not so 

 common with men of less conspicuous reputation. Col. F. D. 

 Curtis kindly sent out for our benefit the following queries to 

 leading agricultural officials in each of the principal States : — 

 " 1. Number and name of colleges, schools, or experimental 

 stations where dairying is taught ? 2. Grants made by your 

 Legislature for agricultural schools or colleges and experimental 

 stations ? 3. Has your State held farmers' institutes — number of 

 meetings last year or any year ? 4. Appropriations made for this 

 purpose ? 5. Copy of the rules pertaining to dairy instruction, 

 fees, &c. ; any facts or reports gratefully received." Responses 

 were obtained in the majority of cases, but in a few others they 

 have not been received ; there is no reply, for example, from 

 Ohio, but in that State farmers' meetings are being held at a 

 cost of only 50s. each, while the cost in Wisconsin is £30 each. 

 On the other hand, in New York State the twenty institutes or 

 more are to cost £1200. In dairy matters, Wisconsin and 

 Minnesota have both active and useful associations, and are the 

 rivals of New York. Each State has a university, the gift of 

 the Government by means of land grants. 



There are experimental stations in all the Northern States, 

 maintained by State appropriations, as they are termed, of 

 £4000 per annum. Last year the United States Government 

 appropriated £3000 to each State for an additional experimental 

 station in connection with a university. The farmers' meetings 

 or institutes are chiefly carried on by the professors of the 

 universities and stations, and in other cases by intelligent 

 farmers. There are also county institutes, held under the 

 auspices of the county agricultural societies. We give the in- 

 formation we receive, eliminating as far as is possible from 

 direct reference agricultural matters other than dairying ; 

 but in the majority of instances the farmers' institutes chiefiy 

 deal with dairy farming subjects, as shown by the numerous 

 handbills we have received from different States. 



The Hon. Norman Colman, United States Commissioner of 

 Agriculture, very kindly furnishes the following information, 

 which we extract from his letter: — "The dairy system of this 

 country is largely confined to creameries, worked upon the co- 

 operative or associated plan. These establishments are in suc- 

 cessful operation in the older dairy States, and are extending in 

 the newer States west of the Mississippi River. Practical in- 

 struction in dairying has been undertaken at several of the 

 State agricultural colleges, notably that of the State of Missis- 

 sippi, near Starkville, and at Amherst, Mass. Experiments are 

 being made from time to time in this direction at the several 

 experiment stations, but no specific dairy schools are known 

 to exist. The only appropriation thus far made by the National 

 Government is to the States for agi'icultural colleges, and is 



