Hiring s in Scotland. 



22 I 



being taken not to remove any skim-milk in taking- off the last 

 layer of cream . Doubt having been expressed as to the advisa- 

 bility of this system as compared with skimming once only at. 

 the end of 24, 36, or 48 hours, it was decided to make 

 some comparative tests. Nine separate trials were 

 made between March and August, for each of which five 

 gallons of milk were set, and skimmed at various 

 intervals. One lot, following- the recommendation in the 

 circular, was skimmed after standing 12 hours, again after 

 a further 12 hours, and finally after a third interval 

 of 12 hours. The other three lots were skimmed only 

 once, at intervals of 24, 36, and 48 hours respectively. 

 The yield of butter obtained from the cream skimmed 

 at the different intervals was compared both, as to 

 quantity and quality, and as a result of the nine trials it 

 appears that the cream which was skimmed at three 

 short intervals produced in the aggregate 16 lbs. 2 J ozs. of 

 butter, against 15 lbs. 11 ozs. from that skimmed only 

 once after standing 24 hours, and 15 lbs. 4J ozs. from that 

 obtained from the milk which stood from 36 to 48 hours 

 before being skimmed. As regards quality, the judge 

 reported that in every case, except one, the butter made from 

 the cream obtained by three skimmings at three short inter- 

 vals was best, both as regards flavour and keeping quality. 



Spring and Summer Hirings in Scotland. 



Reports have been received by the Labour Department of 

 the Board of Trade from a correspondent in Scotland, based 

 on information obtained from hiring fairs, and also from a 

 number of representative employers, of the rates of wages 

 obtained by farm servants at the principal Scotch hiring fairs 

 which took place between the months of February and June. 

 From a summary of these reports, published in the Labour 

 Gazette for August, it appears that, generally speaking, the 

 rates of wages for men at the spring hiring fairs in the border 

 counties and the Lothians, and at the summer hiring fairs in 

 other parts of Scotland were well maintained, compared with 



