136 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



of the rates three years before — that is, prior to the adoption 

 liy the l)e})artinent of" this chiss of eg"" business. Of coui-se, all 

 eg-gs marketed in the flush oi the season brouj^-ht equally ad- 

 vanced prices. It is estimated that 140,000,000 eg'gs are produced 

 in Victoria yearly, over 100,000,000 of these are laid in the 

 spring-time, at least half of which are disposed of to non-producers, 

 therefore, in consequence of refrigeration in the e^^ trade, ])roducers 

 are now pocketing over £52,000 a year more than formerly. This 

 aiiioinit is not as yet added wealth to the country. So far the result 

 has been to make rural pursuits more profitable and attractive. 

 Rapid develo])ment must follow this incentive to production, and later 

 on the whole community will benefit. 



General. 



Sufficient experience has been gained in connection with the export 

 trade in frozen pork and veal to warrant giving a decided assurance 

 to ]:>roducers that they need not, for very many years to come, be 

 afraid of overdoing this bu.siness. Witn the adoption of refrigeration 

 the surplus can lie safely sent to any market in the world for disposal. 



By the aid of artificial refrigeration the whole coiiimuuity of 

 Victoria has benefited to the extent of some millions of ])oun(ls sterl- 

 ing during the last fourteen years. Through its agency an export 

 trade in mutton and lamb, beef, dairy produce of all kinds, ])oultry, 

 rabbits and hares and fruits has been rendered possible. Storage of 

 those goods from the season of ]3lenty to that of scarcity is also taken 

 advantage of by the process. But with the extended a])])]ication of 

 this latter phase of refrigeration in the northern hemisphere, the 

 Victorian dairy farmer Avill directly be brought face to face with a 

 serious ])roblem, and one which is soon bounct to act detrimentally to 

 his interests. In the meantime, new means of assisting him are 

 coming into operation every year, and it is to be hoped that Victorians 

 will continue victorious in the race. 



