British Dairy Farminy. 
123 
the same time doing something for the supply of army horses ; 
while, should the military authorities lend a helping hand in 
order to secure a better supply of troop and artillery horses, they 
will likewise encourage the breeding of hunters. The com- 
mercial aspect of the case is rather foreign to the present report, 
but, if the farmer is to gain much benefit from the various 
schemes now on foot, it is to be hoped that steps may be taken 
to bring the farmer and the actual buyer into closer relationship. 
Commission is the curse of horse-dealing, as every dealer can 
tell us. It can never be quite done away with ; but under 
proper supervision surely the extravagant gains of middle-men 
might be cut down to something like reasonable proportions. 
V. — British Dairy Farming. Two means of promoting its 
greater prosperity. By James Long, of Graveley Manor, 
Stevenage, Professor of Dairy Farming at the Royal Agri- 
cultural College, Cirencester. 
I AM aware that in recommending the adoption or the further 
extension of systems which have been among the chief means 
of placing the dairy industry of the Continent in the position it 
now holds I run some risk of criticism at the hands of those 
who are not well acquainted with Continental work, and who 
look upon our British industry with an optimism, which is most 
commendable as a national feeling. There is, however, nothing 
like practical experience, and taking this as a guide, I have not 
scrupled to abandon all feelings of sentiment, when by so doing 
I could learn something from our cleverest competitors, and 
when by admitting that British dairying ranked only second or 
third to them I was initiated into the mysteries of their work, 
and generously assisted in obtaining every detail about which 
it was worth my while to enquire. In commencing a more 
complete and extended study of dairy farming for the purposes 
of the volume * to which my name is attached, I was compelled 
to recognize two cardinal points, both of which affect our future 
success in one sense, as they have done our past failure in 
another. The word failure may, perhaps, be found objection- 
able ; but the industry that by its want of power, of energy, and 
of knowledge, has permitted competitors of other nations to 
usurp its functions so completely as has been the case, can hardly 
be termed a successful one. These points were : 1st, that the 
* ' British Dairy Farming.' Cliapman and Hall : 1885. 
