Comparative Profit of Cheese and Bittter-MaMivj, &,■€. 339 



In the first place, I may explain that, as butter-making forms 

 the chief feature on comparatively few farms of any size, and as 

 the expenses, stock kept, risks, and general results are, so far 

 as my experience goes, very similar to those of chcesemaking, in 

 both instances the skill of the daii'ymaid having much to do with 

 the profits, I have represented butter and cheese making by one 

 case of the latter, and have added a case of milk-selling, which 

 is now becoming a much more extended system of farming than 

 it formerly was, especially since our towns have grown so large, 

 and railways have made them so easy of access for produce 

 requiring a quick despatch. Before their introduction, milk had 

 of necessity to be produced in the vicinity of its consumption ; 

 but, as the market is now thrown open, a system of farming is 

 now practicable in almost any part of the country, that equals, 

 if it does not surpass, in profit any other kind of management. 



I propose at the same time to show the respective merits of 

 the clifferent methods as regards their effects upon the land upon 

 which they are practised ; this, I consider, is an item of as much 

 importance as the immediate pecuniary return. 



The land in question is of a mixed kind, varying from a strong 

 soil upon a clay subsoil to a dry friable loam on sand and red 

 sandstone. The rents average from obs. to 40^. per statute acre ; 

 the tithes and parish-rates being about the customary average, 

 say, respectively, os. per acre, and 2?. 'ocl. in the pound on the 

 assessment. 



I will first take the case of the cheese-farm, 200 acres, upon 

 which the stock is 50 milk-cows, 50 ewes (which, with their 

 lambs, are fed off fat), 5 horses, 30 pigs, reared up and fattened, 

 and 12 to 15 young horned-cattle, consisting of calves, yearlings, 

 and two-year-olds. The farm is self-supplying as regards all 

 food for stock, having sufficient land under plough, viz., 45 acres 

 in 15-acre shifts — ley-oats, turnips, and wheat — to grow the oats, 

 turnips, and straw required, in addition to the old meadow-hay. 

 The value of the produce of this farm is considerably over the 

 average, on account of the superior quality of the cheese made, 

 which has sold at prices varying from 756'. to 85a\ per cwt., the 

 quantity made being also large. 



The financial results of this farm have been as follows : — 



Produce. 



£. s. d. 



9 tons 7 cwts. 2 qrs. of clieesc, at 80s. per cwt 750 



70 lambs, at 27s. 6r^ 9G 5 



Profit on 50 ewes and wool, at 15s 37 10 



15 acres of wheat, at 12Z 180 



Profit on 30 pigs, at 5? 150 



£1213 15 



