American dairying. 
477 
the dairyman with the meager knowledge he possessed twenty 
years ago, the slough from which we have emerged seems infinitely 
deep and dark. By means of our associated system and our dairy 
conventions, the American dairy industry now leads the world, and 
Europe begins to copy from us. England has inaugurated our fac¬ 
tory system, and now is about to resort to our plan of holding con¬ 
ventions, in order to move her people from the lethargy and stag¬ 
nation into which they and her dairy interests have fallen. 
At the late meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society at Birm¬ 
ingham, the “British Dairymen’s Association” was organized, and 
the plan of holding conventions similar to ours will be adopted. 
But this is not all. It has been proposed to hold twenty-four an 
nually at some large center—as Birmingham, for instance. A 
“National and International Cheese and Butter Show” for prizes, 
and combined with this a congress at which papers are to be read 
and discussions had upon them. “A National and International 
Congress” upon the subject of dairying in England means some¬ 
thing more than a rambling discussion, for it will call together many 
of the distinguished scientists of Europe who have made long and 
carefully-conducted investigations concerning the different constit¬ 
uents of milk and their relation to the product manufactured. 
Thus you will see, that what may be called a purely American 
movement or idea is being planted in England, and must inaugur¬ 
ate progress there as it has done here. 
INyESTIG^TORS AND THEIR CLAIMS. 
In what I have said, I do not wish to attribute all the honor of 
our present position to American investigation or American origin¬ 
ality. We have no scientist who can claim any range of investiga¬ 
tion concerning milk and its products that will at all compare with 
those made by Dr. Voeleker of London. The “Germ Theory” be¬ 
longs to Ilallur and Pasteur, and nothing new in this direction can 
be claimed by Americans. It is true we are indebted to Prof. 
Caldwell, of Cornell, for first expounding this theory to American 
dairymen. The weight of his authority as a believer in it has had 
considerable influence with dairymen toward the acceptance of 
Pasteur’s theory and applying it in some of the problems concern¬ 
ing milk. 
Microscopical investigations to bring out results worthy of cred- 
