226 AgricuUtiral Journal of Victoria, 



relax liis all-crushing grip upon anything he once lays hold of. 

 Who can tell how far this element has conduced to the preci])itation 

 of Mr. Chamberlain's policy of Preferential Trade ? His words have 

 echoed and re-echoed throughout the length and breadth of the 

 world, for it is the first announcement of what is recognised as the 

 warfare of the future, when the world will witness battles of a purely 

 commercial rather than a military nature. As in martial manoeuvres, 

 so in the tactics of commerce. If the army of our export trade be 

 loyal, well organized, drilled and equipped, all opposition must be 

 vanquished. We have a soil proved to be eminently adajjted for 

 dairying, and a splendid climate. With effective conservation and 

 use of our water supply, the rest should be easy. No time should be 

 lost in preparing for the coming season, by brushing down, cleansing, 

 and whitewashing our butter factories, creameries, and dairy buildings, 

 and getting our plant and machinery into satisfactory working order. 

 Quite recently our first shipment of butter was sent away, and in 

 the course of another few weeks tiie whole accumulation 

 from last season's unfortunate speculative ventures will have dis- 

 appeared. The new season will then be upon us, and the indications 

 from all portions of the State warrant the anticipation of a }n'olific 

 innings. One of our most necessary requirements will Lc the proj^er 

 care and treatment of cream from home separators. Drastic, I might 

 almost say revolutionary, measures must be taken to remedy the general 

 abuse of "this system, which has done so much to lower the standard 

 of our butter. Where home separators are absent, the product is 

 invariably on a high plane of excellence. If all cream, wherever 

 possible, were delivered daily to the nearest factory from October 

 until the end of the shipping season, immediate and substantial 

 improvement would be effected. Factory managers and directors 

 already realise this, and it is to be hoped that an understanding will 

 be reached at the Conference to be held between the Dairymens' and 

 Factory Managers' Associations this month. I have been frequently 

 charged with a prejudice against home separators, and must confess 

 to a deep-rooted aversion to their use in any place where local co- 

 operation is ])0ssible. In the proper care of cream, mechanical 

 refrigeration is an absolute necessity. The individual can rarely 

 avail himself of this assistance, but when large quantities are operated 

 upon its use falls lightly on all. My objection is based on the general 

 inferiority of the home separator butter presented for export for the 

 last seven years as compared with that from other sources. I know 

 of considerable quantities of very good butter from some lu)me 

 separators where the collection of cream has been well organized and 

 attended to ; but, speaking generally, the character of such butter 

 will bear much improvement. Do not let me be misunderstood ; I do 

 not condemn the use, but the abuse, of the home separator, without 

 which, I admit, dairying in isolated or mountainous districts, or in 

 localities where the combined treatment of milk is impracticable, 

 would be impossible. I have on every possible occasion assisted 

 home separator people, but the task of attending to over 6,000 users in 

 Victoria is an altogether hopeless one with our limited staff of instructors 



