^6 



REPORT OP THE SCOTTISH COMMISSION 



Winter Dairying 



The bulk of Irishmen think that with them winter butter can- 

 not be produced at a profit, and as long as they depend on the 

 pastures to supply their cows with food in summer and the meadows 

 in winter, they are probably correct. If, however, cultivation was 

 more general than it is over a large part of the country, there is 

 no reason to believe that butter could not be produced at as good a 

 profit in Ireland during the winter as in any other country. The 

 winters in Ireland are comparatively mild, and the summer crops 

 on the arable land are equal, if not superior, to those of many 

 countries which supply us with winter butter. Every district in 



CREAMERY AT SOLOHEAD 



Ireland can grow vetches, cabbages, Swedes, turnips, mangolds, 

 and potatoes. These are the crops which it is necessary to grow 

 in moderate quantity before it can be hoped to make winter 

 dairying a success. The area of these need not be great; but, 

 unless cows in full milk have a moderate supply of succulent food, 

 they can scarcely be expected to give a very large yield. An 

 increase in the area of green crops would cause an increase in the 

 grain crops, which would produce both food and litter for the 

 stock, which at present is very limited in many districts. This in 

 its turn would produce more work, not only in winter, but all the 

 year round, which, sooner or later, would have a considerable 

 effect on the prosperity of the country. 



Strangers to Ireland are sometimes surprised to find that so 

 small an area of the hay crop is composed of Timothy. No 

 country is better adapted by nature for growing this crop than 



