496 



Dairy Instruction in Ireland. 



hitherto in the sale of agricultural produce by these local 

 organisations, but an important development in this direction 

 has recently been inaugurated by the completion of arrange- 

 ments for the sale of bacon pigs direct to the curers. The 

 societies collect from their members a sufficient number of 

 pigs to till one or more railway trucks and consign the animals 

 to the curing establishment. Each member's lot is marked 

 with a number to facilitate identification and paid for 

 -according to the dressed weight at the current market 

 values. 



The co-operative poultry societies, which were sixteen in 

 number at the date of the report, have been formed both for 

 improving the breeds of fowls and the methods of rearing and 

 fattening them, and for the introduction of a better system of 

 marketing poultry and eggs. The societies purchase eggs 

 from their members by weight instead of by number. So far 

 the business has been mainly confined to the collection and 

 sale of eggs, but some societies have taken up the trade in 

 table poultry. 



Another form of co-operation which has made considerable 

 progress is to be found in the agricultural credit associations 

 or loan banks. In March last there were forty-eight banks of 

 this character in operation. No bad debts had been incurred, 

 punctuality in repayment being the rule. In one society in 

 Mayo, the largest in point of membership, where 536 loans 

 were granted, only twelve members were one week late in 

 repayment. 



Itinerant Dairy Instruction in Ireland. 



The appendix to the Report of the Commissioners ot 

 National Education, Ireland, contains some observations by 

 Mr. T. Carroll, M.R.I.A., Agricultural Superintendent, on 

 the work done by the female teachers of dairying attached to 

 the Munster Dairy School. The itinerant method of instruc- 

 tion has been adopted in Munster in order to reach the 

 butter producers who are not under the influence of cream- 

 eries. Skilled instructresses are sent from the Albert Farm 



