yiS ] ournal of Agnciiliiirt- .\ic1oria. [ro Oct.. 191 i. 



should never be used, as it causes the rind to become softened, and is 

 liable to impart a had flavour to the cheese, and to occasion the develop- 

 ment of mould. Care should be exercised to get the crates as nearly .as 

 possil)le the same size as the cheese ; or. in other words, the chee.se should 

 be made of a uniform size to fit the crate. When this is done, they look 

 neater and are pre\-ented from moving about ; the packages also take up 

 less space and unnecessary surplus weight is avoided. The most suitable 

 size for the London market is a cheese weighintc 80 lbs. 



CHEESE HOOP AND CRATE. 



The partition between the cheese should be securelv nailed, and the 

 ends of the crates bound with 14 gauge i^liable wire, with |-in. stajiles, or 

 galvanized iron hoop (f-in.). 



On each end of the crate there must be imi)ressed the full trade descrip- 

 tion, setting out the name of manufacturer or his registered brand, and the 

 word " Australia." together with the net weight of the contents. On each 

 crate it should l)e plainlv stencilled whether the cheese is white or 

 coloured. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



The Staff of the Department has been organized to a large extent for the purpose of driving information 

 to farmers. Question* in every branch of agriculture are gladly answered. Write a short letter, giving as 

 full paiticulars as possilile, of your local conditions, and state precisely what it is tliat you wanr. to know. 

 Alt inquiries forivarded to the rjtlitor miixt be nccdinjjanied by the name nni address of the writer. 

 Tliis is ver}' necessary, as soun-tiniLS insuMicient information is furnislioil liy tlie inquirer. 



Harvesting Paspalum Seed. — J.R. asks how paspalum seed should be 

 gathered. 



Answer. — Strij) bv hand as each head ripens. The seed does not mature 

 evenly ; and, if allowed to get very ripe, will shell. 



Mouldy Silage. — CO. inquires as to cause of failure of a small stack of 

 silage. On opening the stack, it was found that a sort of white mould had spread 

 right through it. 



Ausiver. — Insufficient jiressure and the presence of air in the stack are the 

 causes of mould. Small stacks, especially of thick stalked fodders, are always 

 unsatisfactory. 



Mating Fowls. — J.E.R. proposes to mate a Leghorn cockerel (11 months) 

 with some 85 months' old pullets. 



Answer. — It is better to mate secoml or thinl season hens with a good 

 cockerel. Chickens bred from immature parents lack stamina. Ten hens are 

 enough to mate with a vigorous cockerel. 



