220 



GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES. 



[Dec. 1894. 



induced some owners to part with sheep at a price that proved 

 irresistible to southern graziers who were in a better position 

 with respect to feed for their flocks. 



The numbers of horned cattle imported hi 1892 and 1893 

 were 6,923 and 7,003 respectively ; while the exports for the 

 same two years were 130,989 and 183,663 respectively ; 463,323 

 sheep were imported in 1892 and 223,655 in 1893, whilst 

 421,318 sheep were exported in the former year, and 1,016,945 

 in the latter. 



Export of Tasmanian Butter. 



The export of Tasmanian butter has recently occupied the 

 attention of the Tasmanian Council of Agriculture. In a recent 

 report of the proceedings of the Council, it is stated that up to 

 February 1894, 80 tons of butter had been shipped from Tas- 

 mania to England. This should result in bringing into the Colony 

 about 8,000^., and as it represents an entirely new industry, so 

 far as Tasmania is concerned, it is cause for congratulation. 

 There have been some difficulties connected with the shipping 

 of the product ; but an effort has been made to minimise these 

 difficulties for the future. It appears that an extra freightage, 

 amounting to 5 per cent., is charged upon Tasmanian butter by 

 the steamship companies. The charge though small makes the 

 export of butter from Tasmania more difficult owing to the 

 cost of transhipment. Moreover, the charge is considered unjust, 

 because it is not made upon butter from New South Wales and 

 South Australia, which Colonies have not, like Victoria, a contract 

 with the companies. In view of the difficulties attending 

 transhipment, some correspondence has taken place between the 

 Tasmanian Committee of Advice and a firm in Melbourne. It 

 has been suggested that the Tasmanian Government should 

 accept the guarantee of the firm and appoint them to act as 

 agents in Melbourne. This course was approved at a meeting of 

 the Dairy Factories' Association of Tasmania, at which a resolution 

 was carried requesting the Tasmanian Council of Agriculture to 

 take steps to secure cold storage space for the export of butter 

 to England in 1894-5 on vessels regularly carrying Australian 

 butter, an agreement being offered by the above-mentioned 

 Melbourne firm to fill up any portion of the space applied for 

 and not utilised by factories shipping produce through their 

 agency. Subsequently the whole subject was exhaustively 

 reviewed by the Council of Agriculture, with the result that a 

 communication was forwarded to the Treasury recommending 

 that the Melbourne firm should be appointed to act as brokers 

 for the Tasmanian Government in this matter, that space should 

 be secured for 100 tons in November 1894, 120 tons in De- 

 cember 1894, and 90 tons in January 1895, at the same rate 

 as that which the Victorian Department of Agriculture agrees to 

 pay, and that the butter should be shipped in the same boats as 

 the Victorian butter. Failing this arrangement, the Treasury 



