THK '^MODERX VILLAGE ' AT 'rHE GHENT UNIVERSAL EXHITUTIOX IO3 



of the most modern appliances was wanting, as well as the cattle in their 

 stalls and machinery of every kind moved by electricity, every thing in 

 its proper place. 



2. The Buildings and Public Services of the Village. — There was a second 

 important group of bnildings of which it suffices to mention : the Church, 

 the town hall, the rooms of which were utiUsed for the exhibitions of the 

 General ]\Ianagement of Agriculture, the Rural Office and the Management 

 of Horticulture ; the schools, the farmers' library, the post, telegraph and 

 telephone office, offices for the regulation of buildings, for the railways, 

 sanitation, electric light, fire brigade etc. 



Thus all the public services necessary for a modern village were taken 

 into account. 



3. Various Buildings. — Amongst these, in addition to the mayor's 

 house, the ^dllage inn etc., especially noticeable were the houses of the horti- 

 culturist, the gardener, the beekeeper and above all the Melottc Dairy. This 

 latter was equipped in quite modern style. 



The interest excited by it is easily understood when we reflect that 

 daitAdng is quite the most important and most ancient of the Belgian rural 

 domestic industries. Today, as we learn from the publication under 

 consideration, more than half the total cultivated area is planted with 

 cattle foods. The number of cows also is increasing. 



The trade in milk and dairy produce is considerable : these articles are 

 generally sold for cash, thus causing a rapid and lucrative circulation of 

 money. 



Farmers in the neighbourhood of inhabited centres make a consider- 

 able profit from the sale of milk as such. In some districts it is also used 

 for feeding and fattening calves. 



The manufacture of cheese is not very widespread in Belgium. 

 Most of the milk is utilised instead for making butter. 



According to recent statistics, there are about 1,000,000 dairy cows in 

 the country ; and if we take 3,000 htres as the annual yield of a cow, the 

 3,000,000,000 litres thus obtained are utilised in the following proportions : 



for Cheese Making litres 50,000,000 



Rearing Calves ' 124,000,000 



Fattening Calves " 120,000,000 



; Human Consumption " 540,000,000 



Butter Making " 2,166,000,000 



Total .... litres 3,000,000 ,0(H) 



As the quantity of butter is not sufficient for the consumption, an an- 

 nual amount, of 51,000,000 kg. is imported. About 2,000,000 kg. are exported- 



