894 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



grasses and otlier fodder plants are more extensively sown to feed 

 sheep, tlien perhaps the grass seed trouble may be relegated to the 

 regions of oblivion. 



It is worthy of remark that there is in Victoria a steady tendency 

 toAvards the voluntary breaking up of large estates that were formerly 

 used as sheep runs into dair}' and other produce farms Again in 

 many districts the native grasses have been eaten dut and no attempt 

 has been made to improve the pasture lands. The lands where grasses 

 are commencing to fail should be dressed with fertilizers, and good 

 fodder grasses should be sown. In the more favoured districts where 

 rainfall is certain it is a pity neglect in this important part of the 

 industry is so manifest. The value of pastoral productions for the 

 year amounted to about £6,250,000. 



Canned Meats, Jams, and Fkuits. 



During the year it was noticed that the percentage of " blown " 

 tins in meat and jams was something out of the ordinary, and sample 

 tins have been collected- with a view of tracing the causes. This work 

 will be carried out as early as possible. A previous experience 

 revealed the cause to be an anaerobic germ that was capable of with- 

 standing high temperatures. Higher temperature and more pro- 

 longed sterilisation will no doubt get rid of the evil. 



With jams and canned fruits it has been observed that if they 

 are boiled for a certain length of time at one season they can be 

 safely canned, but at another season a similar period of boiling fails 

 to sterilise the product. The condition is due to bacterial influences, 

 and higher temperature and a longer boiling get rid of the mischief 

 in jams. Jam makers are not too fond of the prolonged boiling, for 

 the longer the jam is boiled the more water is driven off and the less 

 the weight of jam obtained at close of operations. To know the safe 

 length of time to conduct the operation is the secret in making the 

 commodity. 



Preserved Glands. 



There is a demand in Europe, for medicinal purposes, for certain 

 glandular structures derived from animal sources, and I have 

 encouraged a relial^le firm of packers to collect and preserve certain 

 glands for export. The thyroid, pancreas, suprarenal capsule and 

 spleen have been successfully packed, under my directions, and the 

 thymus will be collected in season and also canned. This industry, 

 if conducted on })roper lines, should turn out a profitable one. 



Bonedust, Bonemeal, Etc. 



The bones, bonedust, and bonemeal arriving from oversea ports 

 received due inspection, and the factories created quarantine grounds, 

 at which such were treated, were periodically inspected. The follow- 

 ing table indicates the quantities imported into Victoria since January 

 1st, 1903, and the commodity exported indicates such as required 

 certification before the State to which they were consigned would 

 permit them to land. 



