DAIRYING. 19 1 



Present and future Conditions of Worly. 



As I liavo previously iutiniated, the introdiictinn of tlic factory 

 system of dairying- lias caused a radical change in the methods of 

 work on the farms. Formerly nearly all the internal labour of tlio 

 dairy fell to the lot of the female members of the household. There 

 was the setting of the milk in pans twice daily, the skinnuing of the 

 cream, the churning, making and packing of butter, with tlie daily 

 washing, scouring, and scalding of numbers of utensils ; ami sometimes 

 the feeding of pigs and calves with skimmed milk, fetching tlu> cows 

 from pasture, and always a full share in the milking. These labours 

 beyond their domestic duties were frequently anything but light, and 

 a woman's life on a dairy farm was not as enviable as many thought it 

 to be. Now she is not troubled beyond the care of her home, except 

 to assist perhaps with the milking ; for the milk as soon as it comes in 

 from the cows is in the care of the man, who at once after forating it 

 puts it through the cream-separator, if he has one, or puts it into large 

 cans, and takes it to the local factory, where a record is taken of 

 the quantity and quality of his delivery. The cans arc cleaned and 

 scalded before leaving the factory. A partial load of skimmed milk is 

 usually taken back for the farm animals. This cartage of milk to and 

 from the factory may bo done by a stout lad, who also feeds the animals. 

 In an adjoining Colony I have seen young women take the milk to the 

 factory ; the young men there vicing with each other who should render 

 her most helj?. 



Some other advantages of the rearrangement of labour in the dairy 

 farms I have already detailed ; but beyond those there is one which 

 stands out not less prominent. I allude to the healthful spirit of co- 

 operation which has been developed, and its successful application to 

 this industry, whereby many thousands of pounds have been put into 

 the pockets of our producers instead of going into those of speculators 

 or monopolists. And there is no doubt that by the system of co-operation 

 in vogue amongst us, the dairy farmers of this colony have received 

 higher prices for their products and better returns for their labours 

 than those elsewhere. 



Co-operative factories owned and controlled by the dairy farmers 

 themselves have been, not merely in favour, but almost the only ones 

 obtaining footing in New South Wales until just recently. In any 

 locality where the farmers could supply the milk of say a minimum of 

 600 or 700 cows, they could combine into a company to erect and 

 equip a butter factory, or even a less number for cheese. Each farmer 

 would take up shares proportionate to the number of his milking cows. 

 Sometimes it was necessary to .nccept extraneous help to get the thing 

 started, but these investors' shares were not viewed with favour by the 

 farmers, and were always paid off at the earliest opportunity. The 

 farmers usually selected five of themselves for directors. These 

 appointed the manager, engineer, and butter maker, or whatever 

 labour was required in the factorv, and supervised the whole busmsss. 

 The products were sold on behalf of the company, and the proceeds 

 were divided proportionatelv amongst the milk suppliers, after deduct- 

 ing all expenses of manufacture, kc. These factories, with few excep- 

 tions, very successfully served the purposes for which they were 



