Derby Prize-Farm Competition, 1881. 
463 
refrigerated in some convenient spot close to the cowhouse, 
placed in tin churns * and sent off either once or twice a-day to the 
nearest railway-station. If the animal heat is properly expelled 
from the milk, there is next to no risk in its turning sour in 
its passage to London. Some milksellers do not, even in the 
warmest weather, send it more than once a day. On one of the 
hottest days in June we saw the morning's milk that had passed 
through the refrigerator standing in a trough of cold water, 
waiting for the evening's meal to be ready, before sending to the 
station some three or four miles off. We were assured that not 
a gallon was ever spoiled, but during the hot weather the milk 
of the morning and evening must never be mixed ; that seems 
fatal to its keeping sweet. 
Whoever knows the labours of the dairy, the anxiety, the 
trouble, the constant never-ending hard work, will not wonder 
that milkselling finds especial favour with the farmer's wife 
and daughters. By the mouth of one of us, whose experience 
gives him a peculiar right to speak in the matter, we endeavoured 
to say a few words in favour of cheese-making, and now and 
then proceeded to argue the claims of butter, the value of skim- 
milk, the advantages of whey, the beautiful calves and the dear 
little pigs that could thus be reared and kept upon the farm. 
We were listened to with respectful attention, but with evident 
impatience. One and all seemed to be the deafest of deaf adders, 
and refused to be charmed for a moment. Having known the 
labours of the dairy, nothing but stern necessity would make 
them take to it again. This is only a part of the household 
economy of the age in which we live. From the mansion of 
the millionaire to the cottage of the peasant, anything that ap- 
proaches hard work is voted a bother and should be passed on 
to some one else. In the homes of the middle classes, washing, 
brewing, baking, and dairying are regarded as nuisances by the 
majority of mistresses, and so shirked and muddled by servants, 
that it has become the fashion to entrust these domestic opera- 
tions to outside establishments. And where skill and science 
are brought to bear upon every detail, it may be even more 
economical than trusting to that rule-of-thumb and happy-go- 
lucky way of solving domestic problems which is common in 
too many households. 
The small expenditure in labour may strike many farmers. 
This is not all explained by stating that on the majority of 
farms the chief part of the land is in pasture. Nor can it be all 
accounted for by recording that the farmer not only supervises 
* Churns are now frequently made of steel, tinned. 
