Dairying in Holland. 



'365 



cooling apparatus is frequently to be found to cool the water 

 to the desired temperature. 



'I^he sale of butter by public auction, promoted by mer- 

 chants' associations, has long been general in the towns 

 throughout the country ; but the supply is almost entirely 

 peasant butter, as the dairy factories are able to find indepen- 

 dent outlets for their produce. Formerly these auctions were 

 of importance in the determination of official butter prices, 

 but this is no longer the case. 



At Maestricht there is an association, founded in 1895, 

 the sale by auction of butter for its members, who receive the 

 proceeds weekly. In 1896 some 13,200 cwts. of butter were 

 thus sold. Another type of association is the Guelder and 

 Overyssel Co-operative Butter Union, which, dating from 1896, 

 comprises about sixteen dairies, and now handles the produce 

 of some 8,000,000 gallons of milk in the course of the year. 

 This association does not sell the produce for its members 

 upon co-operative principles, but endeavours to put the indi- 

 vidual dairies into direct business relations with foreign firms, 

 particularly in England, with the aid of the Dutch Chamber 

 of Commerce in London and of the Dutch consular agents. 

 The butter is packed in fir tubs holding ii2lbs. English, or 

 in oaken tubs containing 44 to 88 lbs. ; the prices 

 are regulated according to the Copenhagen quotations. In 

 Friesland there are several dairy companies. One such 

 company, working five large factories, deals yearly with 

 six or seven million gallons of milk ; the butter goes to 

 Amsterdam, made up in J, i or 2 pound packets, or else to 

 England in i or 2 pound packets. 



Of late years several dairy factories have preferred to pack 

 their produce in cases containing 561bs., to suit the English 

 market. 



The importance of the Dutch cheese industry is well known. 

 In 1 89 1 -5 the imports of this commodity averaged nearly 5,000 

 cwts. a year, while the annual exports amounted to 620,000 

 cwts. This was distributed as follows : — Great Britain, about 

 270,000 cwts. ; Belgium, 1 50,000 cvvts. ; Germany, 70,000 cwts.. 

 France, 50,000 cwts. ; while some 7,000 cwts. were shipped to 

 the Dutch colonies and 5,000 cwts. to Denmark. 



