528 



TEE AOniCVLT 



URAL JOURNAL. 



office in disseminating knowledge to the 

 farmers through the medium of letters is 

 time well spent. I would also suggest 

 that when a farmer has any questions of 

 interest to ask in relation to Dairying, he 

 do so through the medium of the Agri- 

 cultural Journal, for by so doing the 

 answer could be read by other farmers 

 who might be interested in the same sub- 

 ject. 



To be included in office work are also 

 the personal visits to the office of the 

 farmers themselves. These visits, I am 

 glad to say, are greatly on the increase, 

 and much good is done in this way, for 

 when a farmer has some scheme he wishes 

 to consult me about, and brings the neces- 

 sary data with him to my office, we are 

 then able to discuss the />tos and cons, 

 and we generally manage to arrive at a 

 satisfactory solution of the difficulties in- 

 volved. 



I point out these few items connected 

 with ofBce work in order to show that 

 through the office a large amount of use- 

 ful work can be accomplished. As such 

 work increases, more time must neces- 

 sarily be spent in the office, and conse- 

 quently fewer personal visits during the 

 year will have to be made ; but, as I have 

 already pointed out, this extra time spent 

 in the office is fully justified. 



Specially Prepared Minutes to 

 THE Minister. 



This is another phase of office work 

 which indirectly affects the farmer. Sub- 

 jects of importance are constantly crop- 

 ping up which have to be specially dealt 

 with in order that the development of 

 the Dairy industry in this Colony may be 

 successfully carried out. 



The chief matters of importance which 

 I have constantly brought to the notice of 

 the Government during the past two 

 years are (1 The providing of better 

 means of transit for Dairy Produce 

 through the medium of specially con- 

 structed cool cars ; (2) The erection of 

 " Shade Houses " at all stations of import- 

 ance on the line for the protection of 

 Dairy Produce ; {'6) The absolute neces- 

 sity of bringing in a General Adulteration 

 Act for the Colony to take the place of 

 that now in existence. 



These are all matters which vitally 

 afEect the Dairy Farmers, and, in fact, the 



whole Colony. Therefore, I consider, it 

 is eminently my duty to bring them be- 

 fore the notice of the Government ; for 

 travelling as 1 do, practically through the 

 whole of the Colony, and constantly 

 coming in contact with the farmers, I 

 venture to remark that I know better than 

 anyone else what is mostly required to 

 help on an industry such as the Dairy in- 

 dustry, and one that is reaching greater 

 proportions every year. 



On the other hand, when a subject of 

 importance is brought to the notice of the 

 Government, it is only right, before they 

 take any action in the matter, that they 

 should receive full information on it, and 

 should know exactly why such and such 

 a thing is required. This being the case, 

 it often necessitates my having to submit 

 lengthy and detailed minutes to enable 

 the Government to be thorouglily cog- 

 nisant with what the farmer really re- 

 quires It will also be well for farmers 

 to bear in mind, with regard to such im- 

 portant matters as the construction of cool 

 cars and the erection of shade houses at 

 different stations, that a large amount of 

 information and data has to be procured, 

 and many details have to be gone into be- 

 fore a practical and satisfactory conclu- 

 sion can be arrived at. This being so, 

 much time must necessarily be spent be- 

 fore the farmers can see their require- 

 ments complied with. 



Field Work.— Farms and Districts 

 Visited. 



I have, during these two years, paid 183 

 official visits to different farms in the 

 Colony, given 10 public demonstrations 

 in butter and cheese making, besides at- 

 tending several important meetings in 

 connection with creamery matters. The 

 following were the different districts 

 visited :— Weenen County, Richmond, 

 Lion's River Division, Klip hiver, folela, 

 Ixopo, New Hanover, Noodsberg, and the 

 Coast Counties. 



In mentioning these different districts 

 that I visited, I do not wish to imply 

 (with the exception of Klip River) that I 

 toured each district thoroughly, as it 

 would have been impossible to have done 

 so in the time I had at my disposal. In 

 the Klip River District I made a some- 

 what extensive tour, visiting as many of 

 the farmers as I possibly could ; and I 



