396 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. ■ [10 Jult, 1918. 



I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Wallace, of the Wallace Farmer 

 —one of the leading papers of the Corn Belt — Mr. Sanders, editor 

 and proprietor of the Breeders' Gazette; Mr. Chrissy, of the Country 

 OenUcman and Saturday Evening Post. All these authorities speak 

 in most flattering terms of the men and of the work done by the Uni- 

 versities and Colleges in the Middle West. 



There is no doubt that the Schools of Agriculture, the Universities, 

 and the Agricultural Colleges stand high in the opinion of business 

 men, commercial men, breeders of stock, farmers, and the press. 

 " Forty years of comparative failure and twelve years of dazzling 

 success," is Dr. True's epitome of the history of the American Colleges. 

 Are we condemned to spend forty years of travail in Victoria before 

 we may expect a like success? ISTot if our legislators and people will 

 have faith in the ultimate triumph of scientific agricultural education 

 and provide the men, money, and equipment necessary to put agricul- 

 tural education on a sound basis. 



THE BABCOCK TESTER ON THE FARM.* 



By B. T. Archer, Senior Dairy Inspector. 



According to the evidence given before the Inter-State Commission, 

 our dairy farmers are in a parlous plight. The average return per cow 

 was stated to be about 140 lbs. of butter fat. Valuing this at Is. per lb. 

 a return of £7 per cow is arrived at. This amount of butter fat would 

 be obtained from 350 gallons of milk, so there would be about 315 

 gallons of skim milk; at Id. per gallon this would give the cow an addi- 

 tional credit of 26s., making a total of £8 6s. 



The cost of keeping such a cow for a year is about £9. This covers 

 all expenses ; so that on an average there is a loss of about 14s. per cow. 

 On the other hand, we know of very many dairy farmers who are making 

 handsome profits, consequently there must be many Avho are losing more 

 than 14s. per cow. That is where the drudgery and hardship come in. 

 We know that the dairying industry saved this country from bankruptcy. 

 We also know that it is the surest Avay for a farmer with limited capital 

 to make a living. 



Those farmers who are producing an average of 300 lbs. of butter 

 fat per cow are doing so at very little more expenditure than those who 

 are keeping inferior herds, the additional cost consisting of interest on 

 increased value of cows and cost of concentrates {i.e., bran, oats, &c.) 

 fed. This additional cost does not amount to more than £5 per cow and, 

 in many instances, not half that. A 300-lb. of fat cow would yield about 

 £3 worth of skim milk, leaving the cost of production about £11. 



What is the remedy for the above poor results? 



FEED— TEST— CULL. 



Use a pure-bred bull from a cow proved by scales and test to be a 

 producer of a large quantity of milk and butter fat. 



* Reprinted with additions from the Journal of the Department of Agriculture far July, 1911. 



