Sept. 1896.] GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES. 



169 



Dairying in Canada. 



In Canada a comparatively new departure in dairying has 

 been made in the fitting up of cheese factories for manufactur- 

 ing butter from October until May. Two winter dairying 

 stations were established in Ontario under the charge of the 

 Dairy Commissioner in 1891. During the winter of 1893-94 

 seven of these butter-making stations were conducted by the 

 Dairying Service of the Department of Agriculture, and ten were 

 operated during the winter of 1894-95". A large number of 

 cheese factories have been fitted up by the proprietors for the 

 manufacture of butter during the winter, and this new industry 

 may now be considered as established in the province of Ontario 

 and well introduced into the other provinces. It appears that 

 the direct revenue from the sales of butter is not the only 

 advantage which results to the farming interest from an 

 extension of winter dairying. By means of it the number 

 and capacity of the cows which can be reared and kept upon 

 farms are increased and improved ; and by the use of skim- 

 milk and buttermilk large numbers of swine can be reared and 

 fattened. 



The extension of dairying in Canada has been, however, 

 mainly in the direction of cheese-making, as will be seen from 

 the following table, which shows the exports of butter and 

 cheese of Canadian production for each of the last five years. 



Year. 



Butter. 



Cheese. 



Quantity. 



Value. 



Quantity. 



Value. 





Lbs. 



& 



Lbs. 



& 



1891 - 



3,768,101 



125,453 



106,202,140 



1,981,000 



1892 - 



5,736,696 



220,012 



118,270,052 



2,427,586 



1893 - 



7,036,013 



270,170 



133,946,365 



2,793,223 



1894 - 



5,534,621 



228,247 



154,977,480 



3,226,706 



1895 - 



i 



3,650,258 



145,308 



146,004,650 



2,969,375 



There is said to be much less difference than used to prevail 

 between the qualities and values of the cheese from the different 

 provinces and the different sections of each province. The methods 

 of manufacture are now nearly uniform throughout the whole 

 Dominion ; and while the districts which were formerly back- 

 ward are now nearly abreast of the foremost in quality of pro- 

 duct and in market price obtainable, the dairymen in the districts 

 which were formerly far ahead have also been gainers by the 

 general improvement. 



As the climate of Canada imposes a period of at least six 

 months during which cattle must be fed in stables, more 

 attention is being given every year by dairymen to the growth 

 of Indian corn for fodder. Fed either as weather-dried stover 

 or as ensilage, it is a juicy, wholesome, cheap feed for milking 



