FOREIGN DAIRYING. 103 



selves. These remain at the farm from twelve to eighteen 

 months, paying a small fee for the time they are there. 

 They manage and milk the cows, assist on the farm, even 

 to mowing and harvesting, and are taught in the most 

 complete manner the whole routine of dairy work. Each 

 pupil is supplied with a small book in which is a slip for 

 each day, and upon this he enters the returns of his 

 department and endeavours to show a better weekly return 

 than his competitors. These figures are checked by the 

 head dairy-maid, who also keeps a book showing the 

 quantity of milk obtained, and cream and butter yielded, 

 with minor details which are very necessary in a large 

 dairy. Where the cream separator is not used, the Swartz 

 system is generally adopted. This consists of a vat some 

 9 ft. by 2j- to 3 ft. and some 2 ft. in depth, which is built 

 of concrete or brick lined with cement. At one end is a 

 tap for the supply of water, and at the other an outlet 

 pipe to carry surplus water away. This vat is usually 

 built in the milk room on the coldest side of the house, 

 and is in summer daily provided with ice, which is allowed 

 to float in the water. As the milk is brought in it 

 is strained and poured into the Swartz cans, which are oval 

 in shape, 24 inches deep, by about 8 inches wide, and 

 16 inches long. The milk remains in these cans from 10 

 to .12 hours, when the cream has all risen and is 

 skimmed off. The skim milk is then taken away either for 

 manufacture into cheese, or for the house and the cattle, 

 and the next milking is poured in. This system is 

 extremely simple, but cannot be properly conducted at a 

 higher temperature than 45 F. If, therefore, a cold 

 spring of water can be obtained which will not rise higher 

 than this, ice will not be required, but in reality an 



