358 DO THE RAILWAYS HELP THE FARMERS? 



to one particular breed, instead of bestirring 

 themselves and showing more enterprise in 

 facing competition ; but when the dealer in 

 question ventured to suggest to an individual 

 sender a certain change of method which he 

 thought an improvement, the only result was 

 that the sender took offence, and withdrew his 

 supplies. At the present time the rearing of 

 Aylesbury ducks is mostly in the hands of 

 cottagers, who breed them indoors, and force 

 them so as to be ready for the market within 

 seven or eight weeks in the early spring, when 

 they command the best price. 



As for butter-making in Bucks, that has 

 practically ceased, the farmers finding it more 

 profitable — or, at least, less trouble — to send 

 their milk to the condensed milk factories at 

 Aylesbury, Buckingham, and Winslow, instead 

 of changing their methods to meet the cheaper 

 production of Irish and foreign butters. Not 

 only is no butter now being sent from Ayles- 

 bury, but supplies thereof are reaching that 

 district from Dorsetshire, Somersetshire, and 

 Ireland. 



Reduced to statistics, the actual decline of the 

 poultry and butter business in Bucks, under the 

 circumstances here narrated, may be shown by 

 the following comparative statement taken from 



