502 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Aug., 1918 



several hours before milking, the gases will have in the meantime been 

 consumed by the digestive system. 



Unclean cans also have a detrimental effect on the quality of cream 

 stored in them, and those in a rusty condition should not be used. 

 Rust slightly " honey-combs " the iron, and the crevices thus formed 

 make good breeding-places for different kinds of bacteria. If cream be 

 kept for a few hours in a rusty can with the lid on, it will give off 

 a strong unsavoury smell, and this is often the cause of second quality 

 cream. Sometimes when a can is patched the hole is not first soldered, 

 and consequently there are small cavities, which cannot be thoroughly 

 .cleansed, with the result that cream put into the can is contaminated. 

 "When cans are returned from the factory, they should always be washed, 

 steamed, or put in boiling water before being again used, and it should 

 not be overlooked that the outside of the cans requires as much attention 

 as the inside, for the same hands handle both cans and cream. 



Cream is often carted to the roadside and left standing there 

 perhaps hours for the cream cart to come along. When treated thus 

 in the hot days of summer, and afforded no protection from the sun, 

 is it any wonder that it is marked second quality. A farmer knows 

 that if he kills a sheep at night he must be up in the morning and 

 bring the carcass in before the warm sun gets on it, but he does not 

 think of the sensitiveness of cream to the heat. It would not take 

 long to provide a small shed for the cream to (Stand in while it remains 

 at the roadside waiting for the carrier. Many a can of good cream 

 has been ruined by permitting it to stand in the sun, and farmers 

 have admitted to me that the only time they have had second quality 

 cream was when they neglected it thus. 



From the observations made, it is plain that the farmer possesses 

 the power to regulate his cream returns and to improve the quality 

 of his cream. If he would but exercise this power, he would have less 

 abuse for the butter factory manager, for no butter maker can manu- 

 facture first class butter out of second quality cream. 



The aim of the Dairy Supervision Act is to improve the quality 

 of our dairy produce. If, in order to comply with the provisions of the 

 Act, the farmer has to build better sheds and dairies, he should not 

 forget that these tasks will bring him larger profits and will also in- 

 crease the value of his holding. 



NOTES ON THE SAPINDUS OR SOAP TREE. 



According to Dr. Trabut {Revue de Viticulture, 5th January, 1901). 

 a species was imported by the Algerian Government in 1845. Young 

 plants were raised and distributed to settlers in 1859. In 1867, Hardy, 

 Director of the Alger Experimental Gardens, drew attention to its 

 heavy crop of fruit. In 1869, Riviere, Hardy's successor, catalogued 

 it as follows: — 



" Sapindus emarginatus. — Tree of Central American origin, 

 producing fruits, the envelope of which can replace soap for 

 washing linen." 



