ioo BELGIUM 



power in 1884, the Clerical Party at once 

 created a Department of Agriculture, and began 

 to spread a very practical and thoroughgoing 

 system of agricultural education. One of the 

 most interesting phases of this system was in 

 regard to dairy instruction. The position of the 

 diary industry in Belgium was then being 

 seriously threatened by Denmark, and it was 

 found that not only were the Belgians meeting 

 with very severe competition on their foreign 

 markets, but their home markets also were in 

 danger of invasion. Up to that time Belgian * 

 butter had been almost exclusively made by 

 individual farmers. To encourage a resort to 

 the best, and especially to co-operative, methods, 

 the Government organized (in 1890) travelling 

 dairy schools, which would stay three months in 

 each place visited, and give practical instruction 

 to farmers' daughters. Before long every pro- 

 vince in Belgium had a travelling dairy school 

 of this description. Steps were also taken 

 by the State to secure the training of dairy 

 managers, so that by the time the farmers 

 were ready to start their co-operative dairies 

 there was a good supply of efficient labour 

 available. 



The Government also did much, with the help 

 of its " Corps des Agronomes," to popularize 



