728 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



months each year is a serious drawback, and for this intermittent supply 

 the State has to pay the full penalty in the shape of lower prices than 

 are paid for tiie product of countries shipping regularly every week 

 in the year. But when it comes about that no butter at all is sent to 

 our oversea customers for nineteen months at a stretch, the dis- 

 advantage is incalculable. Regular winter buyers, being obliged in 

 the season 1902-3 to seek fresh fields for a supply, bought New 

 Zealand or Argentine butter, and naturally became to some extent 

 alienated from Australia. In consequence a sacrifice had to be made 

 to win back the connection. The remedy is obvious, the growth of 

 fodders for the dairy herds, and the preservation of surplus feed when 

 plentiful to provide for times of drought and scarcity, and the con- 

 servation and proper utilization of water. The lesson experienced 

 the season before last has not been in vain. Commendable efforts 

 are being made in every district, and much of last season's surplus 

 growth has been safely put by for future use. However, there still 

 remains much more to be done in this direction. One would be .safe 

 in saying that for every one who may be doing all that is necessary, 

 there are four others who are doing nothing whatever. 



At last it seems that the making of ensilage is going to be 

 extensively adopted by dairymen. In nearly every district new silos 

 were built and filled during the season, and the j)ractice is bound to 

 spread. Much credit is due to Dr. Cherry for his efforts in this direction. 

 In travelling amongst dairymen the increasing interest that is 

 taken in the cultivation of fodders is strikingly noticeable. It, 

 however, seems to me that the number who intelligently discuss 

 the lelative feeding values of the various crops is far greater than 

 those who make no practical effort in the direction of growing them. 

 The most appropriate advice to these people would be " wire in 

 and grow anything that is good, luscious cattle food — it does not 

 matter what — maize, sorghum, beet, anything that will thrive and 

 give an abundant yield, heaps of it, stacks of it, don't be afraid of 

 having too much, always have some on hand and some more coming 

 on; and so when you get into the habit of growing fodder, experi- 

 ments can be made to see which kind gives the best results." 



Dr Howell's field experiments are very instructive and suggestive, 

 but the results will be valuable only in proportion to the extent to 

 which they are taken up by dairymen. Now I would like every 

 factory manager to make up his mind to influence as many 

 of his suppliers as possible to adopt the practice of growing something 

 for his daily cattle when feed is scarce. The loss incuried by allowing 

 dairy cows to starve cannot be estimated, for there is a loss at 

 the time in shortage of returns, there is another loss in progeny, 

 and subsequently there is a great and continuing loss through the 

 impairment of the health of the cattle. If our dairy cows are pro- 

 vided for properly in the future there is no likelihood of a repetition 

 of last season's experience. Our exporters of butter will not have to 

 disappoint those customers in England who look forward to getting 

 supplies from Australia at regular seasons of the year. 



