AGRICULTURAL CO-OPERATION IN IRELAND. 221 



part-paid shares. This share capital has been augmented by the sum of 

 ;^46,262 loan capital, making altogether ;^i 20,485, invested by Irish farmers 

 in the development of this branch of their industry. The value of buildings 

 and plant after depreciation was returned as ;^i 29,528, but it was estimated 

 to greatly exceed this figure, as many Dairies were in course of equipment 

 at the date to which the returns refer. Turning to the actual trade done by 

 Dairy Societies, we find that they received 35,629,743 gallons of milk, from^ 

 which they produced 13,601,184 lbs. of butter, or 4,177 tons. The farmers 

 supplying milk realised an average price per gallon of 3.84<3'., with the sepa- 

 rated milk and buttermilk given back free. The working expenses amounted 

 to ^^74,259 — roughly 9>2 per cent, on the value of the output, which realised 

 the large figure of ^^703, 826. A net profit of £12,472 was earned on the 

 }'ear's trading, which is available for allocation among the members of the 

 Societies, whose reserve and accumulated profit now amounts to ^^^19,545. 

 The price received for butter was 10.84^. per lb. — a shade less than the price- 

 received in 1899, which was 10.92^. The average yield of butter from the^ 

 milk is, however, high, 6.59 ozs. being produced from a gallon. With the 

 exception of 1893, the yield per gallon has gone up steadily since a record 

 began to be kept m 1892. 



This increase is clear gain to the farmer, and is the result of improved 

 machinery, greater care in separating and churning, and paying for milk 

 strictly according to its quality. There appears to be no longer any reason 

 to doubt that the greater efficiency of the new creameries will enhance' the 

 productiveness of milk by at least i oz. per gallon, while, if the farmer pays 

 greater attention to regularly testing the milking qualities of his dairy herd, 

 he will be able to obtain far greater profits than he now can realise without 

 any additional expenditure, merely by weeding out bad milkers and by 

 using suitable fodder. It has been proved conclusively, by experiments at 

 Wisconsin and elsewhere, that by the mere process of selection, together 

 with judicious feeding and careful management, it is possible to increase the 

 productiveness of the milk of a herd of dairy cows by 25 per cent. 



A very pleasing feature in the development of the creamery .system is 

 the opportunity which it has given to labourers to become cow-owners. 

 Numbers of them now have cows, and one case has been reported where a 

 man, living in an ordinary way-side cottage with one acre of land, has been 

 enabled to own eight milch cows, from the milk of which he has realised 

 £jQ) in cash during the past year. This man's case is typical of many others. 

 From grazing one cow by the roadside — on the " long farm," as it is called 

 in the country — he was enabled to buy additional cows and rent grazing for 

 them through the profits he derived from the Creamery. The gain per cow 

 over the old butter-making methods is pretty generally estimated at 30^-. 

 per annum, but in some cases milk suppliers put it down at a much higher 

 figure. 



The Co-operative Creameries are gradually taking up other branches of 

 the farmer's business. There is a considerable increase in the number which 

 now transact " agricultural " business ; others have introduced schemes for 

 the improvement of their members' live stock ; others again are developing 

 the Q^^ and poultry industry ; while some are establishing Agricultural 

 Banks to be worked as an adjunct to their ordinary business. Little advance 

 has been made in the fresh cream trade, the success of which depends 

 almost entirely upon pasteurisation. The Co-operative Dairies have had 

 in some places to encounter very keen competition, owing to the extension- 



