Dairy-Farming in the Netherlands. 
533 
trict have joined together to establish at Tochthuis a butter and 
cheese factory, and to test the applicability of the Svvartz sys- 
tem to their local circumstances. They have hired a building 
and engaged for six months a North German dairymaid, and 
they buy milk from the surrounding farmers at the low price of 
six cents per litre (in June), this being equivalent to not quite 
5i(/. per gallon. At the time of my visit, in June, they had found 
that the water at their command was not cold enough to enable 
them to carry out the Swartz system in its entirety ; therefore 
they had substituted flat pans immersed in the water for the 
deep cans used by Mr. Swartz and his followers. Skim-cheese 
was made in the Edam shape, but larger, and the rennet was 
added to the skim-milk at a much lower temperature than when 
whole-milk is used to make real Edam cheese, viz., 78^ to 
80° Fahr. instead of 90°. Nevertheless these cheeses were being 
sold, as I was informed, at GOs. per cwt., when the whole-milk 
cheeses were making not more than 70s. At that date (June 11th, 
1880) cheese was very dear, whereas the previous autumn it 
was excessively cheap. All the best Danish and German dairy 
utensils were in use, except false-bottomed cheese-tubs, the milk 
being brought to the required temperature by warming a por- 
tion in kettles. The chief interest of this experiment lies in 
the fact that it was instituted and carried on entirely by small 
proprietor-farmers, having rarely more than 20 cows each, as it 
presents unmistakeable evidence of their desire to take advantage 
of any improvement in dairy practice, and to join in putting it 
to a proper test before committing themselves to its adoption. 
Co-oj)erative Factory at Leiden. — A co-operative dairy factory 
on a considerable scale exists at Leiden. Last October (1879), 
when I visited it, the manager was receiving over 1100 gallons of 
milk per day, but in May between 1500 and 1600 gallons are sent, 
these quantities representing, it is said, the produce of about 600 
cows. The price paid is the same as at Tochthuis, viz., nearly 
5jrf. per gallon. A small quantity is sold in the town at nine 
cents the litre, or about %d. per gallon, delivered at the houses. 
Butter and skim-cheese are made with the bulk of the milk, 
except that the production of the latter is restricted by the right 
of the purveyors of the milk to purchase the skimmed article at 
the rate of about ^d. per gallon (200 litres for a guilder). The 
farmers who supply the milk keep on the average from 20 to 40 
cows each, and it is found that the milk yields about 3 per cent, 
of its weight of butter and 7 per cent, of skim-cheese. The 
butter was said to be selling nt about \s. Ad. per lb. last 
October (1879), and the price of skim-cheese was quoted at 
Ad. to Ahd. per lb. 
Co-operative Cheese Factory at J! inhel, North Holland. — This 
