800 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



that four-fiftlis of good fruit is a paying crop even althougli the other 

 fifth is not allowed to be sold. Further, that those who do not obtain 

 good resvilts are, in the interests of the careful orchardists, better out of 

 the business. These reasons seem sound, but there is this drawback, 

 that very few" orchardists do get good results. This high percentage 

 of good fruit, which I have no doubt can be got with sufficient skill 

 a,nd care, is difficult to obtain. Personally I know of many instances 

 in which orchardists have been most diligent in spraying and carrying 

 out precautions recommended, yet the percentage of sound fruit was 

 low. The explanation is that thev have not yet acquired sufficient 

 skill. 



It requires a great deal of experience to know exactly when to 

 spray, and the particular manner in which spraying should be done to 

 secure absolute success. The Department is consequently not carrying 

 out the law with such rigour as it may be possible to do in succeeding 

 seasons. In addition to this, money has not been found for the pur- 

 pose of erecting stations in Melbourne wdiere second-hand fruit cases 

 can be steamed before they are returned to the country and thus 

 assist orchardists in combating diseases. It seemed to me, there- 

 fore, doubly hard that orchardists who are making an eifort should 

 be prosecuted. 



Money is placed on the Estimates for the erection of two steaming 

 establishments this year, and I hope they will be ready before next 



fruit season. 



Dairy Branch. 



During last season it became painfull}^ evident in comparing the 

 price of the best Victorian butter with that of New Zealand and 

 Denmark, that Victorian butter was not commanding the same rela- 

 tive value in the London market as it formerly did. Choicest Victorian 

 butter has been sold at 2s. per cwt. less than choicest New Zealand, 

 whereas four years ago Victorian commanded a better price than New 

 Zealand. To explain this is rather difficult, as Western District 

 butter is supposed to still maintain its high standard, and an excellent 

 system of dairy inspection is said to exist there. It is also said, 

 however, that the good Victorian butter has to carry the bad with it 

 when it reaches London. If this be the case, we must then lessen the 

 proportion of bad so that the load may be lighter to bear. 



There is but little doubt that we are making a o-reat amount of 

 inferior butter in Victoria, not on account of our dairy managers 

 being bad butter makers, but on account of the large proportion of 

 stale cream and inferior milk which reaches the factories. This is 

 causing very serious loss to the State as well as to the individual, and 

 it is the duty of the Department not to relax its efforts until this 

 difficulty has been overcome. If it were instruction that was wanted 

 it would be supplied, but instruction would be of no avail without 

 compulsion. A bill will be brought before Parliament, having for 

 its object the effective inspection of milk from the time it leaves the 

 cow until it is exported as butter. This bill has been drafted by the 



