Report of the Dairy Expert. 923 



sent to London is the result. Prices liave therefore dropped and 

 profits have become so reduced that according to latest reports New- 

 Zealand is threatening to relinquish the business altogether. It is 

 satisfactory to record that not a solitary complaint has been received 

 for the year regarding the quality and get-up of Victorian rabbits, 

 all of which have been graded and packed under Government super- 

 vision. This makes the third consecutive year that (lovernment 

 graded and stamped rabbits have given universal satisfaction. The 

 grading of nearly 5,000,000 rabbits requires over 0,000,000 separate 

 inspections when " reject" rabbits are counted. This w-ork is com- 

 pletely and satisfactorily controlled by the Department and furnishes 

 a valuable lesson to those who think that the Department cannot 

 properly grade butter for export. The grading of butter would 

 mean but a fractional port of the work entailed in connection with 

 rabbits. 



Government Cool Stores. 



The business of the Government Cool Stores shows a loss, owing 

 to the scarcity of produce offered for export during the season, 

 particularly mutton and lamb. Only o8,000 carcases were sent in, 

 as compared wuth over 180,000 for the season before. The demand 

 for restocking purposes was accountable for the shrinkage. Rabbits 

 also show a falling off of 430,000 pairs, as compared with the year 

 before, in consequence of lower ruling prices ; the increased labour 

 required for last harvest diverted trappers' efforts into the more 

 remunerative channel. Poultry also dropped from 75,000 to 31,000 

 head, in consequence of the decimation of stock through the drought. 

 Butter, although showing a four-fold increase on the previous year, 

 totalled only 9,000 tons, much of the aggregate for the season having 

 been treated at outside cool stores at reduced rates. 



Export Trade in Perishable Products. 



The perishable export trade as a whole shows a slight falling off, 

 from 12,041,275 to £1,881,684. Dairy products increased, but the 

 reduction in meat, rabbits and fruit is accountable for the aggregate 

 discrepancy. The prospects for the coming season are reported as 

 most promising. 



Details of Work. 



During the year, 18,609 separate boxes of butter were examined, 

 13 exhibits of Show butters were judged, 53 samples of milk and 26 

 creams tested mainly for the purpose of settling differences between 

 dairymen and factory managers, 3,792 letters written, and 1,966 

 reports sent out to various factories. 



Dairy Supervisors' Reports. 



Mr. Archer reports : — During the past year 1 have inspected 33 

 butter factories, 29 cheese factories, and 9 creameries, and impai'ted 

 instruction to the managers. Some of these have been visited several 



