The Portland daily press., 1883-02-06
The MIetreeg Of a Danish Dairy.

Perhaps not many Danish farmers can
hope to emulate Mr. Nelson's success be-
cause few can be blessed with such wife
as he has. IL is, in fact, mainly to Mrs.
Nelson's exertions that the results accom-
plishe3 are to be traced. This lady first of
all took tour in Sweden and Germany, and
in those countries learned to make butter Oh
the Swartz system, and skim-milk and whey
cheese as practised by Swedes and Germans.
Then she resolved upon extending her
travels. She knew only her native language
and smattering of German, but with this
slender linguistic equipment she had the
courage to make tour in England, France,
Switzerland and Holland, picking up knowl-
edge everywhere. She contrived to get such
an insight iUto the dairy system of these
different countries as to be able to make
butter on the Norman system, Camembert
and Brie cheeses as they are made III France,
Edam as it is made in Holland Cheddar and
Cheshire as they are made in England, and
Gruyere according to the most approved
Swiss process. Mrs. Nelson has a shop in
Copenhagen, where she sells her dairy
produce. the king being one of her rtgular
customers. Her work in the dairy begins at
five in the morning, and is finished at one in
the afternoon. Mrs. Nelson is then off by
train to the city, where she is always to be
found from two O'Clock until eight, returning
to her country home by the nine O'Clock
train,re DIV TO begin the same round of work
the next day.
IL would be interesting only to practical
darymaids to describe Mrs. Nelson's meth
DDS in detail. Her dairy (Which is also her
kitchen, where cooking and cheese-making
go on simultaneously is but sixteen feet
square, and yet three kinds of cheese-Der-
by. Edam and Camembert- have been seen
in process of concoction together. The mis-.
tress devotes her personal supervision to the
most critical parts of the work. but is assis
ted by her pupils, of whom she has generally
about dozen boarding in the house For it
will not excite surprise that her fame has
spread far and near, and that farmers are
only too glad to send their daughters to study
under such an instructor, The girls stay
for various periods. from six weeks to two
years, usually about six months, and those
who stay but short time are charged pro-
portionately high fees. All have to work as
hard as an ordinary dairymaid while at the
farm. Most OF the pupils are the daughters
of small farmers. One was pointed out to
Mr.. jenkins, however, whose father owned
forty cows. This young lady was about to
be married, and her parents thought them
selves fortunate in securing for her under
Mrs Nelson the knowledge by which she
would be enabled to turn the dairy that was
so soon 20 he her own to the best account
Itlis, perhaps, worth mentioning that Mr.. Mel
SON lakes part Of the GARY business him
self, and had at first but small faith in the
success of his wife's enterprise. So she
began by buying her milk Of her husband at
what he regarded as remunerative selling
price, and has continued to do so to the
present time. She now has to buy Of many
other farmers as well, but Mr.. Nelson is still
paid for every quart at market value, just as
his neighbors are. AS Mrs. Nelson's pupils
do most of the work. her outlay for labor
must be very small, and she makes, accor-
ding to her own statement, between two and
three times as much for her butter and
cheese as she pays for her milk. She must
evidently, therefore, be doing a prosperous
DusinSaa. 11zI pfs}lliS are, OI COllisv, ~.
gEaatsrr
own shop she has to make no allowance for
those Of The factor aud retailer-London
Globe