18 THE dairyman's MANUAL. 



Derbyshire, where the first cheese factory in England 

 was established, Leicestershire, where the exquisite 

 Stilton cheese is produced, Wiltshire and Gloucester- 

 shire, where also fine cheese of peculiar excellence is 

 made, and some other places, as Dunlop in Scot- 

 land, where Cheddar cheese was first made, and which 

 had a reputation for its fine cheese a hundred years 

 ago, are all noted for the very same peculiarities of 

 geological formation, soil and character of surface and 

 healthfulness. So that these circumstances being gen- 

 eral, a rule may be predicated, that in choosing the local- 

 ity and soil for a dairy farm, these characteristics should 

 be sought in the land to be chosen. 



But not every farm can be of this kind, and not one- 

 tenth part of the number of dairy farms are located in 

 these districts. These farms are found everywhere, and 

 cheese factories, creameries and private dairies are scat- 

 tered thickly over the whole face of the country, from 

 the Atlantic to the Pacific, and even bordering on the 

 sea shores. Nevertheless, there are certain requisites 

 to be secured whenever a farm is sought for dairying, 

 which the farmer who is turning his attention to this 

 lucrative pursuit would do well to recognize and under- 

 stand. The choice may be large and wide, if these cer- 

 tain necessary points are found. The land must be well- 

 drained^ or it will not grow full crops or the most 

 nutritious herbage, and will not be healthful. If it is 

 not so drained naturally, it should be done artificially 

 and thorouglily. This is of the greatest importance, for 

 often the richest and most fertile soil is in low bottom 

 or swampy land, wanting only drainage to become pro- 

 ductive of the best permanent grass, and such crops are 

 the most valuable for feeding cows. The kind of soil is 

 of less importance, because there are so many different 

 ways of managing the business, that it is only necessary 

 for the farmer to adapt his methods to his soil, to equal- 



