S Julv, 1908.] Review of the Dairying Season igoy-8. 431 



REVIEW OF THE DAIRYING SEASON l!lo;-S.* 



A'. Crowe, Superinieiident of Exports. 



The Export Season now closing has been remarkable in many ways. 

 Its most gratifying feature was the record prices butter reached in Londoii ; 

 but its other striking aspects — a marked falling off in production, a reduc- 

 tion in condition of the majority of our dairy cows, and the throwing out 

 for use next season and the loss of many of them — are not so pleasing. 

 At the moment, butter is being imported at the rate of between 4,000 to 

 5,000 boxes a week from the neighbouring States to help local requirements, 

 and, were it not for New South VVales and Queensland, the price of butter 

 to ^Melbourne householders would proljably now be 2s. 6d. per lb. The 

 present loss is perhaps the least important factor, for when feed becomes 

 plentiful supplies will no doubt be immediately fo-rthcoming. The break- 

 ing of business connexions with export markets for the period of months 

 which these disasters have entailed is almost irreparable. The good feed 

 on the north coast of New South Wales caused thousands of dairy cattle to 

 be sent there by rail and sea during the last couple of months. Although it 

 may appear somewhat cruel to blame dairymen for what to most of them 

 may seem to have been beyond control, still it was patent that should a 

 long dry spell le encountered the results would l:e just what they have 

 been. 



A rare opportunity was missed on Boxing Day last when there was a 

 general fail of about three inches of rain. Anyone who had the good 

 fortune to plough and put in a crop of maize or sorghum and cultivate it 

 properly fared well, but unfortunately, most farmers were just then busily 

 engaged in gathering their harvest. It was risky in the extreme to rely on 

 a plentiful downpour at that period. To avert calamity some kind of crop 

 should be grown in season to be made into hav or ensilage. 



Irrigation. 



The imperative necessitv of conserving and using water for irrigation 

 has again been brought prominently to the front. It must be a matter of 

 great consolation to those located in the northern areas that the Minister 

 of Agriculture and Water Supph is so much alive to their interests. 

 When his scheme is completed it is likely that if another drought is ex- 

 perienced, production owing to the increased amount of fodder available 

 rather than being diminished tO' so great an extent as has been the case 

 in the past, will be greater. For instance, lucerne, the king of fodders, 

 revels in heat, provided plenty of water is suitably applied. 



In a fairlv moist average season many would be careless in using water, 

 but with prolonged dr\- weather, everyone would make the most of it. 

 Instances exist in certain favored districts of the north where dairymen 

 secured averages of upwards of ;Qio per cow. 



Butter Exported. 



Quantity. — From ist July, 1907, to date 14,567 tons of butter have 

 been exported from Victoria to other destinations as compared with 21,562 

 tons for the whole of the preceding season, comprising 10,727 tons to Great 

 Britain, of which 28 per cent, was unsalted as compared with 30 per cent. 



* l'a|:>ei' rea 1 at th.' Fifteenth Annual ("unfei-enee of the Australasian But'er an 1 Cheese Factories 

 Managers' Association, held Jlay IfH.'S, at Melbourne. 



