Sept. 1896.] GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES. 



175 



The conference further considered it desirable to adopt an 

 uniform schedule for the collection of agricultural statistics ; to 

 assimilate the practice of branding stock throughout the Colonies ; 

 and to adopt uniform legislation with respect to diseases and 

 pests affecting vegetation. 



It was also resolved to ask the Government of Western 

 Australia to assimilate their stock regulations to those in force in 

 the other Colonies. 



Value of Farm Property in Ontario. 



The Government of the province of Ontario have issued some 

 statistics relating to the value of farm property in the province. 



The following is a comparative statement of the results as, 

 published in the Statistical Year Book of Canada for 1895 : — 





1884. 



1894. \ 



Farm land - 



Farm buildings - 



Farm implements - 



Farm live stock - - - • 



Total 



£ 



130,308,064 

 36,122,276 

 9,964,731 

 21,480,589 



£ 



122,342,941 

 42,514,910 

 10,735,452 

 23,239,094 



197,875,660 



198,832,397 



It appears that the real property (lands and buildings) con- 

 nected with farming was worth 166,430,340?. in 1884, and 

 164,857,851?. in 1894. The reduction in value, consequent upon 

 the opening up of Manitoba and the North-West, and the 

 decrease in the price of agricultural produce, has amounted, in 

 the ten years, to 1,572,489?. The percentage of decrease is 0 s 9 

 per cent. 



Exports of Perishable Produce from Victoria in 

 1895-96. 



Mr. David Wilson, the Government dairy expert of Victoria, 

 in his annual report to the Minister of Agriculture of that 

 Colony, states that, owing mainly to climatic reasons, the exports 

 of perishable produce through the Department; of Agriculture 

 in the season 1895-96 do not show an expansion of value. The 

 autumn rains in 1895 were not only late, but also light and 

 very partial in their distribution.* This meant a scarcity of 

 natural pasture in the winter. The spring also proved a dry 

 one, with calamitous results to many of the butter factories in 

 the northern districts of Victoria. A short season and a short 

 supply of milk during the season greatly reduced the quantity of 

 butter which it was estimated early in the year would be coming 

 forward for export. During the shipping season 1894-95 there 



