694 = 425 
Dairy Farming. 
hardens on cooling. It is said that clever rogues can mana; 
to keep so much of the warm water in the butter as to add mui 
to its weight. On the other hand, as the ingredients that cau 
rancidity in butter are undoubtedly volatile, washing in war 
water removes these taints and sweetens inferior butter. T 
effect of the warm water is to " break the fibre," as it is calle 
i.e. to do away with the granular appearance which the be 
butter has. Such butter is very seldom better than third quali 
in Cork market. It is, however, good wholesome butter, fit t 
all kitchen purposes ; and the breaking of the fibre makes 
'spread better and go further in making pastry, for which purpo 
it is bought by large confectioners in towns, who make past 
on a wholesale scale. 
In spite, however, of defects — the bad influence of mark 
defects, as well as those from neglect in butter-making — it 
certain that in the South of Ireland dairying is much the mc 
profitable way of dealing with land, and accordingly the num"^ 
of cows kept constantly increases. There is no difficulty evi 
with land in poor order, that is worth 20s. an acre to let to 
tenant, in making a return of 40s. an acre from it by a dair 
Since the famine, the practice of letting cows to a dairym 
has greatly increased. The owner provides cows, utensils ai 
house, and land for potatoes, to be manured by the dung of t 
cows. The dairyman is allowed to keep two or three shc" 
and a horse or donkey, according to the size of the da" 
About 4 acres of ordinary land are allowed for each cow. Tl 
rent is from 10/. to 11/. per cow. 
Winter feeding is little thought of. The climate gives 
constant spring of grass through winter, and there is a liti 
straw froni the oats grown after the previous year's potatoes, ai 
perhaps a cock of hay ; and if there is any rough land or was 
on the farm, there is some winter picking from it. There is i 
doubt the cows thus let are more profitable ; for few tena. 
make so much as 10/. a cow from those they do not let. 
But great changes and many improvements are needed in t 
butter-arrangements of the South of Ireland. Art open mark 
where all can buy and sell at free prices, is the first want ; ai 
much smaller packages should be the rule, like those in whi 
Normandy butter comes over — packages of various sizes, so 
to suit small farmers. 
The practice of churning whole milk has been adverted 
above. This plan exists also to some extent in Scottish dai 
districts. The whole milk, after cooling in shallow vessels, 
poured into larger vats, where it lies undisturbed for three 
four days, during which it may sour and thicken. The churnii 
is done by horse-power in large upright churns, with two or thr 
