44 
altogether, for Hayter, in his Victorian Year-Book for 1892, puts 
down the area as nil, and yet I have seen fine crops of this a few 
years ago in the Drysdale district. Mustard is another crop 
which seems dwindling to nothing, last year showing only 2 acres 
as against 30 to 40 two or three yearsago. Howis this? Our 
Melbourne seedsmen almost invariably prefer their stocks of rye 
grass and cocksfoot from New Zealand to seeds grown in our own 
colony; andwhy? Because itis cleaner, better dressed, freer from 
sorrel, and other weed seeds. Is this not a reflection upon our own 
farmers, that they do not keep their fields clean, and so be able to 
produce a good marketable article? At present I do not think we 
could successfully compete with Belgium, Holland, and other 
places in Europe in the production of clovers, lucerne, and a few 
other grasses, but I feel assured we import large quantities of 
seeds which should be produced on our own soil. 
Insect PEsts, 
It would be a source of wealth to the colony were we to keep 
in subjection these pests which play such havoc in very many 
of our gardens. It would be almost impossible to estimate, even 
approximately, the loss we suffer from the ravages of codlin moth, 
pear, and cherry slug, and a host of other pests. By drastic 
measures we have stamped out phylloxera from our vineyards; we 
should do our best to subdue those pests which ravage our 
gardens. A most important thing it is to know the best means 
to be taken to attain this end, and I hope our Government will 
lose no time in introducing and passing a measure dealing with 
these scourges, which, like the rabbit pest, will, the longer they 
remain undealt with, be all the more difficult and expensive 
to eradicate. Fortunately for us, I think that terrible plague the 
“Hessian fly” has not yet appeared in our fields, but our 
neighbours in New Zealand suffered very severely in some 
localities last season; in one district as great a loss as 50 per cent. 
was experienced. 
CoLonrat Woops. 
The value of our colonial timber seems to be getting more 
appreciated than formerly. Reiser’s process of seasoning will 
cause @ revolution in the method of dealing with them, and it is 
quite on the ecards that by-and-by we shall be exporting to 
England and other places some of the best of our hardwoods. 
Our display at the recently opened Imperial Institute should cause 
some inquiries to be made. We have been hiding our light under, 
a bushel. I believe a demand will spring up for our blackwood 
redgum, and many of our high coloured and best woods for 
cabinet-making and other purposes. May we not possess in our 
forests a very valuable asset—a wealth as yet quite undeveloped? 
