1 Ocr., 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 255 
One long-needed improvement is being effected and is nearing completion ; 
and that is, a straight road from the College railway siding to the buildings. 
The distance is about three-quarters of a mile, and up to the present the 
winding track has led over flat, melon-hole black soil difficult to negotiate in 
wet weather. The new road, being elevated, formed, and of good width, will 
afford more easy and certainly drier travelling during wet and dry weather. 
A number of trees are being removed on the hill and flat facing the 
station to afford a view of the College from certain points of the railway line. 
DAIRY AND DAIRY HERD. 
Special attention and care are devoted to recording the quantity (measure 
and weight) and quality of the milk produced daily by each cow, and the 
results of giving different feed stuffs are carefully noted. As each man or 
student finishes milking a cow, he brings his bucket to a scale, and the manager 
of the dairy enters the result in a book. The results of the operations will be 
published later on. 
The two silos, which have a capacity of 60 and 100 tons respectively, 
having been filled some time ago, are now being drawn upon for feeding the 
dairy stock in the morning and evening. Green barley and oats are the forage 
crops of which the contents consist. The cattle eat the ensilage with great 
avidity, and it is found so far that, for milk production, the barley is superior 
to the oats. Bran mixed with molasses is found to be excellent food, especially 
for calves, which receive a quantity daily, beginning with a quarter of a pint 
and increasing to nearly a pint. Maizemeal has been proved to be quite useless 
as a food for the calves unless it is first cooked. 
The pure-breds of the herd include the Holstein, Jersey, Ayrshire, Devon 
breeds, besides which there are a few head of good cows selected from ordinary 
Queensland cattle herds. From the experiments already made, it is found that 
the Ayrshires surpass all other breeds, both for quantity and quality of milk 
and butter; and for producing milk, Cape barley, as stated, has been proved 
conclusively to be far superior to Jucerne and green oats. Experiments are row 
being made in crossing Ayrshires with Jerseys and Holsteins, the pure-bred 
cattle, however, being kept quite distinct from the crosses. 
The appliances in the dairy itself are about to be greatly increased, and a 
refrigerator will shortly be in position. Continued experiments are being made 
in pasteurising and sterilising milk and cream. Butter and cheese made under 
different methods will be exported, and their condition on arrival in England 
noted. The condensation and concentration of milk and cream are also carried 
out. It will thus be seen that the students will have ample opportunity for 
thorough instruction in the whole business of dairying, under the most experi- 
enced and painstaking of instructors in the person of the Principal, Mr. Mahon. 
Connected with the dairy are the piggeries, which contain 90 pigs. 
Arrangements are being made for importing some pure-bred stock, and for 
enlarging and improving the piggeries. 
As soon as possible poultry-yards will be erected, and the business of 
raising pure breeds of fowls will be entered into. 
It is astonishing to note the amount of work which has been done at the 
College since its opening in July of last year. Little over thirteen months 
have elapsed, yet the grounds are covered with good buildings and laid out with 
neat gardens. An avenue of trees has been planted, a new broad road across 
the blacksoil flat is approaching completion, some hundreds of acres are sub- 
divided into cultivation and grass paddocks, and generally the place has the 
appearance of having been established for several years. 
