JO Ukc. 191^-] General Notes. 719 



CROPPING IN VICTORIA- 



According to the latest volume ot the C oiin)i<inueaUh Year-Book, 

 Victoria, in 1910-11, had 3,952,070 acies under crop. This was equal 

 to one-third of the total cropped area of the Commonwealth, and to 7 

 per cent, of the total superficial area of the State. Of the cropped 

 area nearly 61 per cent, was devoted to wheat, 21 to hay, 10 to oats, 

 while no other crop formed as much as 1 per cent. Among the various 

 States, Victoria in wheat sowed the largest area, and reaped the largest 

 crop — also in oats and barley. In maize (grain) Queensland planted 

 nine times as much as Victoria, and Xew South Wales about eleven times 

 as much, but in Victoria the yield i)er acrt- was double that of any other 

 State. In beans and peas Victoria came second to Ta.smania in pomt 

 of area with 11,068 acres, and in rye with 2.640. S€-cond to New South 

 Wales. In hay it cut 194,000 acres more than any other State. In 

 orchards and fruit Victoria showed 57,375 acres, or about 10,000 in 

 excess of New South Wales, which came .second. In vines it tied with 

 South Australia for first place at 23,412 acres. Victoria had most 

 market garden, 10,778 acres, and the largest area under potatoes, 62,904 

 acres. In onions it had almost a monopolv — 6,161 acres. Tobacco, 

 329 acres, was about one-sixth of the Australian total, and in hops Vic- 

 toria was a poor second with 121 acres. Hops are chief! v grown in 

 Tasmania. A poor place taken by Victoria was in the matter of green 

 forage. In this it took third place with 71,826 acre^s, or nearly no. 000 

 acres below the figures for New South Wales. 



BRITISH IMPORTS OF BUTTER— 



In the vear ending 30th June last there were imported into the United 

 Kingdom 200,195 t'^'^s of butter, of which 52,857 tons, or 26 per cent 

 came from British Dominions. Of the latter Australia contributed 

 33,677, Canada 2,997, ^"d New Zealand 16,183 tons. In their 

 eighteenth Annual Revieztf, Messrs. W. Weddel and Company. I>imited, 

 mention some interesting facts in connexion with the dairy produce trade. 

 So far as butter is concerned, Canada is dropping out from the export 

 business. Of the European countries most ha\-e declined .somewhat in 

 butter exports to England in the last few years, Sweden alone showing 

 a considerable increase. Holland has been sending increasingly to Ger- 

 many. Imports from the Argentine shows a decrease in recent years, 

 and United States exports are now small. Comparing the prices during 

 the quinquennial period. 1893-98, with the prices for 1908-12. there has 

 been a rise in butter from all countries, but it has not l^een unifonnly 

 distributed. In fifteen years Dutch butter has improved by i8s. lod. 

 per cwt., Russian by 18s. 3d., Irish by r5s. 6d., Xew Zealand 13s. iid., 

 Danish and Swedish 9s. gd., Australian 8s. lod.. and French 5s. 2d. 

 During the final period the prices were — Danish, 121s. iid. : French, 

 120s. 6d. ; Dutch. ii8s. 7d. ; New Zealand, 115.S. 9d. ; Irish, 115s. 7d. ; 

 Australian, ins. iid. ; and Russian, 109s. 7d. — all per cwt. The 

 process of cream pasteurization and careful handing in New Zealand is 

 noted, and it is remarked that Australian butter has not given to buyers 

 of finest qualitv the same complete satisfaction as New Zealand butter. 

 As regards the markets in the coming .sea.son it is anticipated that prices 

 will rule considerably lower than those for 1911-12. but will exceed the 

 average of the preceding four years. 



