Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-11-07

Letter from England.
! THE AGPICULTUEAL DISTRESS IN ENGLAND
ENGLISH pARNING, ETC.
MANCHESTER Eng. Oct, ~, 1879
! TO the Editor of the Free Press and Times:
As the returns come in from the various
districts of Great Britain, the disastrous re
suits of the universally bad harvests are be
coming more and more manifest. At one
time for Il week or 50, in September, there
was hope that Il succession OF bright warm
DAYS might bring material relief; but even
that hope has been blasted and the Winter
stares the farmer in the face, with empty
cellars, diminutivc hay ricks, poor cattle and
empty purse Only last week company OF
some 300 farmers with their families sailed
for Texas from Liverpool and this is but
fraction of the emigration from English ports
every week. 1t is the beginning of Il more
widespread movement than has ever been
seen in England The competition OF foreign
countries has entirely killed the growing of
wheat in England, and unless some other
product takes its place, thousands of acres
must be given up to the partridge and rabbit.
The farmers are thus looking anXiously about
for new methods and new products. The
fact that for each family in England c23 or
$l15 worth of food is annually imported into
this country is enough to set them to think |
ing. Very much of this could be produced |
at home and they are settling about to do
this
During the year 1873 there was imported
into England from abroad 5000 900 or
S25, 900, 900 worth of cheese, and cl0, 200, 900
or $50, 900 900 worth of butter, COCO, 900 or
-, 600, 900 of the latter coming from
America alone. At present there is a con-
siderable prejudice against American butter
and cheese and ms long as Englishmcn feel
aggrieved over the protective policy of the
United States they will buy as little of it rs
possible Said a well-informed Englshman
to me the other ,lay, 1--WE receive the great
majority of our imports from you, | grant
but we take Just as little as we possibly can.
This seems to be the universal feeling, and
Il very natural one TOO.
The dairy business of this country under
this state Of affairs is gaining ground, and
many wheat growers have gone into it. The
days have gone by here for keeping cows on
grass in Summer and hay in Winter, under
which system, am informed, three acres
of permanent pasture land kept one cow, for
which she gave five or six pounds of butter
per week for forty weeks in the year. More
valuable stock is now kept and well fed on
hay, grass, grains, lnsecd, cotton cake, and
other concentrated food The following very
accurate description of one of these farms |
have been able 10 obtain, and ii may be taken
as a sample of them ALL
On the dairy farms the work is carly and
late, week days and sundays, Winter and
less cheese is made in the Winter. On Il farm
Of about 200 acres of arabic land there may be
kept about fifty cows these yield two
cheeses per day Of about 20 or 50 pounds
four in the morning two female servants, or
one of the farmers daughters anda dairy help,
are up to light the fire in the kitchen range
to skim long series Of milk pans by dipping
some Of the pans in thehot water of the vcs-
Sci boiler. \ woman, assisted by the farm
cr's son, or perhaps daughter, milks
the cows between five and six o'clock,
while the farmers wife is up and
IL. 4, Il nj |
attending to the poultry and the farmer
himself is starting the tillage labor OF the
farm The dairy maids mix the cream with
The milk in the cheese tubs, warm the milk
to the proper temperature and pour in the rem
net, which is prepared day 10y day from the
sailed and dried stomachs of calves, which
have been fed on milk only, the strips be
ing previously soaked for a day and night.
While the chemical action Of the rcnnct is
going on the household have leisure for their
breakfast. Directly the meal is concluded
and throughout the entire day, in the height
Of the season. until bed time at nine or ten
o'clock, with intervals for dinner and tea, the
attention and labor of the farm
RS wife, daughter and dairy help is devoted
o the curious, delicate and repeated pro-
'nSscs Of treating the o::rj, cutting drawing,
'atihg it, putting clean dry cloths upon the
,heeseS pIicking the cheescs which are in
press for two days, turning tho checscs daily
or several weeks, etc, etc. Much worl, is 4
bestowed on cleansing and scalding the YES
,els, washing the floors and the cloths, pump
ny water for the milk cooin" all this in l
addition 10 the churning, cooking, baking, a
washing and daily household duties besides
attention to the children and the dress 1t is
eally astonishing what a round of severe and
lighter labors the farmers wife and her as
istants get through This primitive way OF
making cheese cannot compete in point of |!
rice with American cheese factories, but
Iothing can be more delicious than good
Ill fashioned English cheese.
Yours WuoD WAED.