54 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Jan., 1919. 



forgotten that these countries have everything in their favour, small 

 areas, and intensive population, as opposed to Australia — a country of 

 vast areas, sadly under populated — in addition to which the cost of 

 haulage is much lighter in European countries. 



Co-operation, too, is difficult to adequately effect in the case of an 

 article so generally produced, and so liable to deteriorate, as the new 

 laid egg. Fruit-growing, for instance, is more a district matter, and 

 the produce does not deteriorate so rapidly. Co-operation among 

 fruit-growers is, therefore, more readily brought about. But co-opera- 

 tion among poultry farmers must come, and fairly quickly. Adelaide 

 eggs are selling at S^d., Melbourne eggs lid., Sydney eggs Is. 3d., all 

 at the moment of writing. The time is fast approaching when the 

 production of eggs in the Commonwealth will considerably exceed the 

 demand; therefore, to avoid the prospective ruin of a prominent rural 

 industry, exports must be arranged for. The opportunity is a great 

 one, because eggs produced in Australia at the cheapest time of the year, 

 and in best condition, can reach Europe or America when the highest 

 prices are ruling. Eggs cannot be carried in a fruit chamber. They 

 require a chamber to themselves, and to secure this a huge co-operative 

 movement is necessary, so that the space may be secured and fully occu- 

 pied. This and a thorough investigation of the present system of mar- 

 keting eggs in Melbourne are imperative to establish the industry on a 

 sound footing. 



The opportunity which now presents itself to the National Utility 

 Poultry Breeders' Association should be an historical one; producers 

 should for the moment overlook the question v/hether they can get a 

 |d. pel dozen more than their neighbours, and, uniting for the common 

 weal in pooling their supplies, establish a regular export market at 

 the right time of the year, and radically alter the present " market." 



PEA HAY. 



The Superintendent of Experiments of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture in South Australia (Mr. W. J. Spaiford), in reply to the question, 

 " If a promising crop of peas fails to pod, either through frost or dry 

 weather, and it is cut whilst green, will it be of any value as hay?" said 

 that peas, if properly handled, make very fair hay. Most of our culti- 

 vated plants are at their maximum of growth a short time after flower- 

 ing, and from a hay point of view, are still very digestible at this stage, 

 and so it is found that when cut soon after flowering and made into hay, 

 the maximum amount of digestible foodstuff is secured. Peas are no 

 different from our other hay crops in this respect, and for the purpose 

 should be cut shortly after the bulk of the plants has flowered, say, a 

 fortnight at the outside. In this hay the leaves are of the greatest 

 value, and in curing care must be taken to see that the leaves are not 

 allowed to become too dry and brittle. For the best results it should 

 be cured in a manner similar to that adopted with lucerne, being put 

 into comparatively small cocks, and only turned in the cool parts of the 

 day (morning or evening), and stacked it before it becomes too dry. — 

 Adelaide Chronicle, 4/1/1919. 



