THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY 331 



Butter-making 



During the closing years of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society of Ireland, a complete revolution took place in 

 the system of land tenure in this country. While this 

 change was being effected, an important branch of 

 agricultural industry underwent a total transformation 

 all over the world. German fiscal policy had obliged 

 the farmers of neighbouring states to seek a new outlet 

 for their produce, and the open British market was an 

 easy prey. The farmers of the United Kingdom soon 

 discovered that the superior technical education of 

 their neighbours in Denmark and other countries had 

 made them formidable rivals, with serious consequences 

 to the British butter-making industry. 



In 1876, the first of a series of dairy shows was 

 held in London, and on that occasion Professor J. P. 

 Sheldon proposed the formation of the British Dairy 

 Farmers Association. Two years later the Royal 

 Agricultural Society of Ireland deputed the Rev. 

 Canon Bagot and Mr. James Robertson to visit several 

 of the northern states of Europe and inspect the 

 various systems of dairy farming carried out in those 

 countries. They were accompanied by the secretary, 

 Mr. Dawson Milward, whose very interesting and in- 

 structive report was published by the Society. 1 



The Royal Dublin Society joined the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society in an effort to improve Irish dairy 

 industries. A joint dairy show was held in 1879, at 

 which continental systems of butter-making were shown 

 at work. Similar shows were subsequently held by the 

 Royal Dublin Society alone. The Royal Agricultural 

 Society instituted a travelling educational dairy which 



1 Report on the Butter Manufacture of Denmark and other 

 Countries, 1879. 



