4IO Journal .of Agriculture. [iS July, 1907. 



agriculture in which there is no royal road to success, but a careful practical 

 training is necessary before the student caai be intrusted with the manage- 

 ment of a factory. As to how long this should be depends a great deal 

 on the intelligence and diligence of the student and the ability of his 

 teacher. A year at least should be spent with a good maker, and in the 

 opinion of Mr. Sawers two years' apprenticeship should be served before 

 anyone is allowed to take sole control of a cheese dairy. If, however, the 

 shorter period only w^as spent, instead of entering into the work after a 

 few days' experience, the improvement in our cheese would be very great. 

 As to becoming perfect this has never been nor will there ever be a cheese- 

 niaker who will reach this standard. Experience generally teaches one how 

 little he knows and how much there is to learn. Professor Drummond of 

 the Scottish National Dairy School, after 35 years' experience, considers 

 that he knows less than he thought he knew when he first started. This 

 generally applies in all cases and when a person gets to think he knows 

 tcx) much, his case is hopeless. Canada, New Zealand, and Great Britain 

 owe their success as cheese producing countries to their employment of 

 experienced makers. 



The question may be asked, How is this to be done ? The only way 

 is for good men to be trained by thoroughly practical makers. But besides 

 a close observance of practical instructions, the man who hopes to have a 

 successful career must have a thorough grounding in the elementary sciences. 

 He must have an earnest desire to reach the highest standard of excellence 

 from the inception of his education, without which desire he will never 

 command a foTcmost place, or be capable of overcoming the difficulties 

 which continually confront him. To achieve this standard of proficiency 

 it is necessary that a Dairy School equipped with all the most modern appli- 

 ances be established. With the exception of New Zealand, which is con- 

 templating this step, nearly all dairying countries have such sources of 

 instruction. It may be almost termed a calamity that such a magnificent 

 dairying country as VictOTia clnnot boast a school of this kind. When a 

 voung man goes to a dairy school he often has exaggerated ideas of his 

 own alnlities, but generally after a few days he finds that his knowledge is 

 ^'ery slight indeed. 



A visitor to any of the Dairy Institutes in Great Britain, or Denmark 

 will notice that the first thing a student is taught is the danger of unclean- 

 liness, and throughout the course, the evil effects of this initial weakness 

 are brought continually under his notice in the most impressive manner. 

 He is made to realise that without the observance of this essential prin- 

 ciple, his future work is doomed to failure. After serving an apprentice- 

 ship at such an institution, the young man will be able to make the charac- 

 teristics of his factory prove of educational value to the milk suppliers. 

 Dairy Institutes are not only suitable for the training of factory man- 

 agers, but when farmers or their wives, sons and daughters, spend a week 

 or two at such, the matter of cleanliness is so impressed upon them that 

 improvements are made and so relie\-e the factory manager of much 

 anxiety, and save him from calling attention to dirty milk and cans, which 

 is at all times a very delicate subject and requires a considerable amount 

 of diplomacy on his part. Let him be ever so diplomatic, he is liable 

 to get into hot water when mentioning the subject. Should any of you 

 ever visit Great Britain be sure and have a look at some of the farm 

 (iairies in Ayrshire in which county the Scottish Dairy School is situated, 

 and it will be observed that the faithful following of a sound training 

 finds its expression in the spotless appearance of the dairies. Even the 



