412 Journal of Agricultnre. [lo July, 1909. 



General. 

 The great question is how to resuscitate an interest in dairying in Vic- 

 toria. The large measure of success which we have attained has, as I have 

 already pointed out, had an enervating influence, and something must be 

 done to awaken people from their existing lethargy for — 



" 111 fares the land to hastening ills a prey, 

 Where wealth accumulates and men decay." 



The universal use of the plough is what is needed, green fodder — 

 fodder of any kind to commence with — and its judicious growing and con- 

 servation as silage or even hay, to provide a stand-by as an insurance 

 against drought. Most excellent advice is published in the agricultural 

 columns of the weekly papers, and in the Department's own Journal of 

 Azriculture. 



Prospects at the moment are certainK bright and encouraging compared 

 with what they were twelve months ago. We have had splendid rains 

 from the Murray to the sea. In many districts there is a superabundance 

 of feed, particularly in portions of the North East. Dairy cows will be 

 able to pass the winter in good condition, and when such is the case thev 

 invariably come into full profit immediately upon calving. It is to be 

 hoped that we have reached the bottom of the cycle of depression and that 

 it will be a long time before it returns. I do trust that dairymen will be 

 made wise by their recent reverses, due, very largely, to their own want of 

 forethought, or, rather, to their neglect to provide against climatic contin- 

 gencies. 



Last winter Victoria sent many shiploads of young dairv stock to New 



South Wales, and for years men of experience and capital have gone in 



an almost continuous stream to New South Wales and Queensland. The 



disastrous results are reflected in the figures relating to the exports from 



the three States. Only two years back, Victoria exported as much butter 



as the whole of the sister States put together ; that is to say, half the 



butter shipped from the Commonwealth was produced in Victoria. For 



the season now closing, our exports will amount to a little over one-third 



of the total. New South Wales has already caught us and Queensland 



threatens to do so in the near future. Shall we allow ourselves as a State 



to be outstripped by our neighbours when we have held the lead so long ? 



Success or failure, progress or retrogression is entirely in our hands. The 



answer which Victorian dairymen and land-owners give will not only be 



vital to themselves but vital to Victoria as well. For " There is not one 



of us so mean and base " that has not an interest in this all-prevading 



issue. You. collectivelv and individually, you, can do much to revive^ 



assi.st, and establish this trulv national industry on a sound and permanent 



basis. 



* * * * -v- -x- 



In the discussion on this paper the foUowinor notes are of interest : — 



Overlapping. 



Mr. Crowe said — I believe we have too many factories ; it is not con- 

 sistent with the true co-operative spirit for them to be at daggers drawn 

 with one another. If there were a better feeling between some of the fac- 

 tories there would be more likelihood of amalgamation. The factory which 

 is conducted on the lines likely to secure the test result to the producer is the 

 one which will gradually draw in the neighbouring factories. It is the 

 close competition existing for cream which is doing all the harm. One 

 purchaser of cream keeps his suppliers up to the mark, and then another 



