CHAPTER XIII. 

 TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN DAIRY WORK. 



Grants in Aid. A Travelling Dairy. The Counties of Stafford and 

 Derby. Mr. Valentine's Work. Dairy Schools. Prize Demonstra- 

 tion at Longnor. Scale of Points. Tuition in Cheese-making 

 Needed. An Open Mind. 



LARGE sums of money, which the Government of the day had 

 intended for buying up the good-will in trade of superfluous 

 publicans, have been devoted to a different and a wiser purpose, 

 viz. technical education in the industrial arts. In Ireland 

 dairying had received grants in aid before ; but in the rest of 

 the British Islands tuition in the dairy had been left to "paddle 

 its own canoe," as one may say that is, to private and 

 individual enterprise, and to the efforts of various agricultural 

 societies. 



The British Dairy Farmers' Association was formed, in 

 1876, for the express purpose of promoting dairy education, 

 and much has been done by the Royal Agricultural Societies of 

 England and Ireland, the Bath and West of England, and 

 others. Generally, however, these tuitional efforts have been 

 confined to essays, lectures, and demonstrations, all of them 

 excellent in their way, and indispensable. 



Some years ago, in Ireland, " a travelling dairy " that is, a 

 wheeled vehicle containing the necessary equipment for butter- 

 making was sent on a tour through some of the southern 

 counties, stopping en route at various places, to give lectures 

 and lessons to the people. The track of this van could be 

 traced on the map, it was afterwards said, by the improved 

 character of the butter that was made wherever it had been. 



