204 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



view of tlie fact that the Vegetation Diseases Act, which prohibits 

 the sale of diseased fruit in tlie market, is on the recommendation of 

 the Vegetation Diseases Board to be strictly enforced next season. 



The discovery of a rust resistant wheat which would give a 

 heavy yiei<l, and at the same time possess the best milling qualities, 

 seemed almost to have been made in the variety known as Rerraf, 

 but since its distribution some doubt as to its milling qualities has 

 been raised. Every effort will be made to find a wheat which will 

 possess all three qualities, and it is mainly with this object that 

 experiments have been conducted over a series of years at Port 

 Fairy. 



Closely associated with this class of work is the testing of new 

 varieties of imported grains, which has been un<lertaken by the 

 Vegetable Pathologist. The great success of Carton's hybrids in 

 England leads us to hope that some of them may be found to be 

 suitable to the climate of Victoria, and I have made arrangements 

 to import those which show the best results in the present ex|)eri- 

 ments so that farmers may grow them in various parts of the 

 State next year, and test tlieir suitability to different districts. 



The discovery of a grass which can be sown in the northern 

 areas for the purpose of forming a permanent pasture, after the 

 land has been under cultivation is a uiatter of great importance. 

 The problem has not yet been solved, and until it is solved the 

 Department of Agriculture should never give up the task. With 

 this view experiments have been undertaken with numerous grasses 

 imported from America, as well as our own native species. 



Dairy Produce Exports. 



The Manager of the Covernment Cool Stores has futnished an 

 excellent report which is well worth reading by all producers. My 

 experience of one export season in Victoria has forcibly impressed me 

 with the fact that a sufficiency of cool storage is the l<e3'stone of the 

 situation. All other efforts of" the depaitmentand producers are in vain, 

 if we cannot market our perishable products when they are ready for 

 market. What is the position at the present time? Last year the 

 supply of cool storage available was not equal to the demand for two 

 months of the export season. The Government Cool Stoies could not 

 deal with nearly all lambs and sheep offered. Had it not been for 

 the railway strike, we would have been short of accommodation for 

 25,000 crates of rabbits, and this in the very worst drought year that 

 has ever been experienced. 



This year we have every prospect of having an excellent season, 

 and a large export of butter, Jambs and mutton. Last season 180,000 

 carcases were handled by the department, and the present prospect is 

 that not less than 300,000 will be offered. What will be the result? 

 Lambs will be kept long after they are prmie and will deteriorate in 

 value, and if kept on the stations will eat ofi' the feed which 



