340 



GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES. [Dec. 1895. 



exceptions, favour the factory system, and it is confidently 

 expected that within the next 12 months individual dairying 

 to any extent will have become a thing of the past. There were, 

 at the end of ,1894, 23 cheese and butter factories, and 27 

 creameries, in the southern portion of the colony, as compared 

 with 16 factories and 13 creameries in the previous year. 



A more perfect system of dairying is said to be required in 

 the colony, and it is maintained that the industry will not be 

 as profitable as it otherwise might be, until the average yield 

 per cow amounts to 4 lbs. of butter weekly. 



To arrive at these results farmers are recommended to breed 

 for quality and feed for quantity, and to regulate their herds 

 so as to always have a number of cows in milk. 



The imports of butter and cheese into Queensland in 1893 

 amounted to 271,106 lbs., and 366,031 lbs. respectively, while 

 in 1894, 221,724 lbs. of butter, and 65,720 lbs. of cheese were 

 imported into the colony. These figures show a considerable 

 falling ofi" in the importations, particularly in cheese. 



According to regulations made under the provisions of the 

 Meat and Dairy Produce Encouragement Acts, 1893 to 1894, a 

 bonus may be paid upon all butter and cheese made in Queens- 

 land of Queensland produce, whether at a factory or elsewhere, 

 and exported after the 1st of January 1895, to any port outside 

 the Australian colonies. The bonus is at the rate of one penny 

 per pound for butter, and one half -penny per pound for cheese. 

 The quantity exported in each shipment must not be less than 

 10 cwts. in the case of factories, or than 1 cwt. in other cases. 

 There is also an arrangement whereby any balance from the 

 dair}^ fund at the end of the year shall be divided pro rata 

 amongst the persons who have received bonuses during the year, 

 but the total bonuses thus received must not in any case exceed 

 twopence per pound on butter or one penny on cheese. All 

 butter and cheese exported under these regulations must be 

 examined and approved on behalf of the Government. After 

 such approval the bonus becomes payable, but the butter must 

 be placed on. board ship for export within seven days. 



The fees charged for inspecting and stamping butter or cheese 

 for export are at the rate of Qd. per cwt, the lowest fee being 

 2s. 6c?. and the highest 42s. Penalties are imposed to the 

 amount of 100?. for counterfeiting the Government mark or 

 brand, or for possessing the means of counterfeicing the brand, 

 and to the amount of 50?. for using a second time a package 

 marked with the Government brand. 



According to the Annual Report of the Queensland Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture for 1894-95, only two shipments of butter 

 had up to the date of the report (May 30th, 1895) been made 

 under the foregoing provisions. 



