362 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ocr., 1899. 
We are perfectly aware that many of late have gone into woolgrowing 
who well understand the management of sheep, but who, when shearing-time 
comes on, are quite at a loss to know how to deal with the fleece. Tt is the 
intention of the writer, therefore, in the following pages to point out what should 
be done in the matter of classing and what should be ayoided’; and if it should 
result, from a perusal of these articles, that small growers become impressed 
with the necessity of paying due attention to this very important matter, he 
will feel his efforts have not been in yain. 
Our subject will comprise, from a buyer's point of view— 
Ist. Classing of combing and clothing and their different grades. 
2nd. Skirting of the fleece and their respective orades, and how far to 
skirt. 
3rd. Scouring ; when, what, and how to scour. 
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES AND PLOUGHING MATCHES. 
Av the late ploughing match at Harrisville, the Minister for Agriculture (the 
Hon. J. V. Chataway) made some remarks, infer alia, on ploughing matches 
which were highly approved of by the farmers present. “Mr. John Iielding, 
secretary of the Lockyer Agricultural and Industrial Society, Blenheim, 
writes :—‘‘ We were very much pleased with the remarks of the Minister for 
Agriculture at the late Harrisville ploughing match, especially in his advocacy 
of the principle of these matches being held under the auspices of existing 
agricultural societies. It shows that he has been giving ve matter some 
thought, and that he realises the cause of the comparative failure of our 
agricultural societies to do the full amount of their legitimate work. Mere 
theorists in agriculture, and men, especially townsmen, cannot, be they ever so 
honest or enthusiastic, build up or carry on for any length of time a successful 
agricultural society.” 
Dairying. 
HOW TO PASTEURISE MILK. 
Tus Lown and Country Journal lately published the following method of 
pasteurising milk :—The vessel containing the milk, which may be the bottle 
from which it is to be used or any other suitable vessel (see Fig. 2), is placed 
inside of a larger vessel of metal; which contains the water. Ifa bottle, it is 
plugged with absorbent cotton, if this be at hand, or, in its absence, other clean 
cotton will answer. A small fruit jar, loosely covered, may be used instead of 
a bottle. The requirements are simply that the interior vessel shall be raised 
about half-an-inch above the bottom of the other, and that the water shall reach 
nearly, or quite, as high as the milk. The apparatus is then heated on a range: 
or stove until the water reaches a temperature of 155 degrees Fahr., when it 1s 
removed from the heat and kept tightly covered for half an hour. The 
milk bottles are then taken outand keptin a cool place. The milk may be used at 
any time within 24 hours. A temperature of 150 degrees maintained for half-an- 
hour is sufficient to destroy any germs likely to be present in the milk, and it 
is found in practice that raising the temperature to 155 degrees and then allowing 
it to stand in the heated water for half-an-hour, ensures the proper temperature 
for the required time. The temperature should not be raised above 155 degrees, 
otherwise the taste and the quality of the milk will be impaired. The simplest 
plan is to take a tin pail (see Fig. 1), and invert a perforated tin pie-plate in the 
