The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-09-24 00:00:00

DAIRY FARMING.

A general meeting of the British Dairy Farmers
Association was held on Monday in London in Upper
Barners-hall (part of the Agricultural-hall). The
Lord Mayor (Mr. Alderman M2Arthur, M.P.), having
visited the Dairy Show during the afternoon, was
present at the meeting, over which Major-General E.
Burnaby, M.P., presided, in the unavoidable absence
of Lord Chesham, the president of the Association.

In opening the proceedings, the Chairman moved:
"That it being generally
i accepted that the cul-
tivation of arable land n this country is unre-
munerative, principally owing to the easy transit
of foreign cereal products, it is desirable in
the interests of both owners and occupiers of
land to encourage dairy farming in all its different
branches, and that in view of the impetus that
has already been given by the Association to the im-
proved production of dairy products and utensils, thus
stimulating competition, it deserves the support of all
classes of the community in the, country." Com-
Earing the number of cows in this country with the num-
Wers kept in Holland, France, and the United States,
he said that in proportion to population, we were
much behind other nations. After touching upon the
importance of attention to breed, he mentioned, with
regard to the care of cattle, two or three matters
alpout which our dairy farmers might learn something
from the Danes and Germans. Urging the import-
ance of special training, he referred to the proposal to
establish a dairy school with the assistance of the
Royal AgriCultural Society in this country.
The Lord Mayor, expressingthe pleasure and satis-
faction which his visit to this exhibition had given
him, said the Corporation of the City of London could
not have dispensed their funds to greater advantage
than by contributing to the prizes offered by this
Association. He was glad to learn that so large a
number of exhibits came from the sister kingdom.
The farmers of Ireland would most effectually promote
the prosperity of their country by devoting their
attention to the making of butter and the cultivation
of those products for which the soil was admirably
adapted. Remarking upon the excellent quality of
the cheese sent from New Zealand, and pointing out
that the English farmer must reckon upon having the
colonists as competitors, he asked if it would not pay
them to give more attention to market gardening.
Canon Bagot began by complimenting the Irish
railway companies and the London and North-Western
Company upon the rapidity with which the Iri:h
exhibits, some 3 tons altogether, had been trans-
mitted to the show, the butter from the most distant
parts having come through within the 24 hours. The
farmers of England had, he thought, passed through
and were passing through a more trying ordeal than
those of Ireland, and he would ask whether they would
not do wisely to turn their energies from making
cheese, either to the production of butter, or to what
had become equally important and just as remunerative
—the milk supply of the large towns. They would see
that cheese from New Zealand of good quality could be
sold for Bd. a lb. in this country. There was a good
deal of nonsense talked about foreign competition. He
would urge our farmers not to sit down with folded
hands, but to turn their attention to the dairy. Dwell-
ing upon the importance of thorough and systematic
training for the right and profitable management of
a diary, he pointed to the good results of the work
done by the dairy school at Cork, as shown in the
quality of much of the Irish butter exhibited. In respect
to this industrial trainißg, other countries were far
ahead of us. Sweden had three colleges, in which dairy
education was given, and in Denmark there was also a
college, with a department for teaching all that per-
tained to the management of the dairy farm. The
butter from those countries was remarkable for its
uniformity of make, uniformity of salting, and uni-
, formity of colour, In Ireland they had a little dairy

on wheels to be sent round the country for the pur-
pose of showing farmers how the dairy should be
managed, and it was a source of satisfaction to him
to be able to trace the journey of their dairy, in noting
to whom prizes and commendations had been given
in this show. _ _ _ _ _

Other speakers followed, and the resolution was
unanimously adopted.