376 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
home,  there  are  always  scores  of  younger  sons  who  fairly  burn  and 
pant  for  a  life  of  greater  activity  than  can  be  fornd  in  the  counting 
house  or  shop. 
In  days  of  old  the  simple  country  people  bel'eved  the  streets  of 
T.ondon  to  be  paved  with  gold.  In  these  modern  days  gold  is  still  the 
cry,  whether  of  African  origin,  S.  Australia,  or  the  distant  Klondike. 
Bat  there  are  other  motives  that  drive  men,  quite  as  potent  as  the 
gold  fever — it  is  the  lust  of  land ;  some  stake  in  the  country,  some 
spot  where  to  reign  loi’d  paramount.  It  is  partly  for  the  sake  of 
possession,  but  also  in  great  measure  for  the  sake  of  the  pileasant 
outdoor  life,  the  fascination  of  rural  sights  and  sounds,  ani  perhaps  in 
the  far  background  the  desire  to  demonstrate  the  possibility  of  making 
farming  pay.  We  all  have  a  sneaking  fancy  that  we  can  excel  our 
neighbour  if  we  only  really  tried. 
If  in  days  of  old  Canaan  could  be  looked  upon  as  a  land  of  flocks 
and  herds,  a  truly  pastoral  country,  surely  to-day  the  same  may  be 
said  of  vast  tracts  of  S.  Australia.  Shepherd  kings,  indeed!  Well, 
here  are  shepherd  kings  in  all  truth,  and  alongside  of  the  sheep  may 
be  seen  the  countless  herds  of  well  bred  cattle,  descended  from  the 
bluest  of  blue  blood. 
Imported  bulls  and  dams  have  been  used  without  a  single  thought 
being  given  to  the  great  price  paid  for  them  in  the  old  home  country, 
or  the  great  expense  ani  risk  of  the  long  sea  voyage.  We  know  some¬ 
thing  of  the  expense,  and  we  can  guess  at  the  risk.  The  colonials 
were  wise  in  their  generation,  and  knew  that  the  best  article  was  the 
cheapest  in  the  long  run.  They  have  had  their  difficulties  and  their 
losses — many  and  heavy.  They  have  met  difficulties  wuth  per¬ 
severance,  and  losses  with  fortitude,  and  have  ever  been  ready  to  seize 
and  adopt  new  and  improved  methods  if  they  could  see  in  them  at  all 
ultimate  profit.  In  a  country  like  Australia,  where  the  population  is 
scanty,  and  the  agricultural  resources  without  limit,  we  cannot  be 
surprised  to  learn  that  food  products  are  both  plentiful  and  cheap. 
The  question  has  been  how  to  convey  the  superfluous  food  to 
those  countries  where  the  need  was  greatest,  and  where  there  was  an 
open  market.  With  beef  and  mutton  the  question  was  partly  solved 
by  the  tinned  trade,  but  with  the  bye  products — milk  and  butter — there 
apprarently  seemed  no  means  by  which  they  could  reach  the  far 
distant  consumer. 
However,  now  the  difficulty  appears  to  be  at  an  end.  We  have 
received  a  paper  which  treats  of  the  dairy  factories  of  S.  Australia, 
and  shows  how  the  work  is  growing  and  increasing.  The  increase  is 
by  giant  strides.  Once  well  made  and  carefully  packed,  lutter  and 
cheese  will  bear  a  great  amount  of  travel  without  detriment,  and  the 
mother  country  will  do  well  to  be  fed  from  her  colonies,  rather  than 
from  Danes  or  Dutchmen. 
“  Co-operation  ”  is  the  watchword,  and  we  find  that  “  in  Sydney 
the  produce  agents  have  formed  themselves  into  a  number  of 
companies,  each  embracing  a  distinct  sphere  of  action.  Each 
company  has  a  large  butter  factory  established  at  some  convenient 
point,  generally  at  some  river  port,  with  creameries  in  suitable 
localities  in  the  surrounding  district.” 
The  farmer,  instead  of  worrying  himself  and  his  family  with  dairy 
works,  takes  off  his  milk  to  the  nearest  creamery,  sells  it  according 
to  its  intrinsic  butter  value,  and  has  done  with  it.  There  is  a  monthly 
settlement,  and  he  also  may  possibly  be  at  the  same  time  a  parti¬ 
cipator  in  the  company’s  profits.  By  doing  his  cows  well  he  can 
increase  the  value  of  his  milk,  as  it  is  paid  for  on  the  butter  fat  basis 
rather  than  on  the  quantity.  As  the  factories  are  replete  with  the 
best  and  neovest  apopliances,  even  to  those  used  in  pasteurising  milk, 
every  care  is  taken  to  make  the  butter  as  near  perfection  as  p:)Ossible. 
The  products  are  carefully  packed,  and  find  their  way  to  the  home 
markets.  This  leaves  the  farmer  free  to  turn  his  attention  to  other 
i:)arts  of  his  business ;  it  does  away  with  the  employment  of  expensive 
labour  (butter  makers  and  dairymaids  always  require  top  figure  in 
the  matter  of  wage),  and  suitable  offices. 
We  quote  again, “On  March  Slat,  1898,  there  were  in  N.S.  Wales 
181  butter  factories,  294  creameries,  18  cheese  factories,  9  butter  and 
cheese  factories,  2  butter,  cheese,  and  bacon  factories,  making  in  all 
May.4,189&.i 
502  establishments,  but  during  the  last  year  the  increase  has  been  con¬ 
siderable.  In  1897-8  the  quantity  of  butter  made  was  29,409,966  lbs., 
of  which  23,713,509  lbs.  came  from  the  factories,  and  6,526,673  lbs. 
found  its  way  chiefly  to  English  markets.  In  1886  the  expjorts  only 
reached  58,047  lbs.,  thus  showing  how  quickly  the  trade  is  developing'. 
We  fancy  it  has  a  great  future.  The  cows  are  there,  the  prastures  are 
there,  the  go-ahead  man  is  there  too,  and  the  capital  wherewith  to  make 
a  start. 
Would  that  we  could  see  something  on  the  same  lines  in  our  rural 
neighbourhoods  ;  but  it  is  the  old  story  repeated.  Children  may  be 
taught  new  ways,  their  parents  never.  The  young  blood  of  the 
colonies  is  full  of  energy  and  life,  it  is  not  bound  down  by  traditions  of 
the  past,  but  is  ready  to  strike  out  new  p-)aths  ard  try  new  methods. 
WOKK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
We  are  still  having  showery,  not  exactly  to  say  w’et,  weather  ;  the 
land,  therefore,  remains  on  the  wet  side,  and  current  work  is  only  per“ 
formed  with  difficulty.  A  good  May  month  should  be  a  dry  one,  so  we 
must  hope  that  the  weather  will  take  up  and  give  us  a  taste  of  summer. 
Muen  rolling  remains  to  be  done,  Bailey  in  particular  is  not  growing 
as  it  should,  the  nights  are  too  cold  for  it,  and  a  enp  which  makes  slow 
progress  is  always  more  liable  to  the  attack  of  wire  worm.  Many  fields 
show  signs  of  wireworm  now,  and  rolling  must  be  done  as  soon  as  the 
weather  will  allow.  A  good  heavy  roll  must  be  used,  and  the  surface 
must  be  dry. 
Farmers  do  not  like  to  see  a  shed  full  of  useless  implements,  but  a 
spare  roll  is  often  brought  into  requisition  when  it  is  available,  both  in 
spring  and  autumn,  and  it  is  not  an  easy  thing  to  borrow,  for  the  neigh¬ 
bour  who  might  be  willing  to  lend  is  generally  finding  plenty  of  work  for 
his  own. 
The  sheep  must  now  be  removed  from  the  mowing  seeds  if  they  are 
still  on  them,  and  here  a  good  rolling  will  do  much  good.  It  will  not  only 
consolidate  the  Clover  roots,  but  level  the  inequalities  of  the  surface,  and 
make  a  better  track  for  the  grass  mower.  Loose  stones  of  any  size  must 
also  be  carted  off.  On  limestone  formation,  stones  of  large  size  are  often 
brought  to  the  surface  by  the  plough,  and  if  not  removed  are  a  frequent 
cause  of  broken  sections  and  fingers,  if  not  of  worse  damages. 
It  w  ill  soon  be  time  to  drill  a  few  early  Swedes.  Heavy  soils,  in  which 
Swedes  do  not  grow  very  rapidly,  may  be  drilled  any  time  after  May  7th,. 
if  the  tilth  be  satisfactory.  A  great  point  is  to  use  good,  new  seed, 
not  cheap  rubbish  or  what  has  remained  over  from  last  year  ;  and  anothes 
point  is  to  choose  a  fine  warm  day  for  the  drilling.  Sunshine  must  go  in 
with  the  seed,  and  if  there  is  none,  then  wait  for  it. 
OUR  LETTER  BOX. 
Malt  Culms  (iV.  B.'). — We  have  no  experience  of  these  for  the  purpose 
you  name,  but  we  do  not  see  why  they  should  not  be  good  for  laying  hens- 
in  the  proportion  you  name,  one  part  to  three  of  meal.  To  your  other 
question  we  can  give  no  answer,  though  we  should  say  it  would  be 
excellent  for  fattening  chickens,  being  rich  in  nitrogen. 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden  Square,  London. 
Lat.  51°  32'  40"  N.;  Long.  0°  8'  0"  W.;  Altitude  111  feet. 
Date. 
9  A.M. 
In  the  Day. 
1899. 
Barometer 
at  32°,  and 
Sea  Level 
Hygrometer 
Direc¬ 
tion  of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of  soil 
at 
Shade  Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Tempera¬ 
ture. 
d 
*3 
April. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
1  foot 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun 
On 
Grass 
Sunday  ....  23 
Monday  ....  24 
Tuesday  ....  25 
Wednesday  26 
Thursday  . .  27 
Friday .  28 
Saturday....  29 
inchs 
30-277 
deg. 
48-4 
deg. 
42-3 
S. 
deg. 
45-2 
deg. 
53-9 
deg. 
41-6 
deg. 
89 -5 
deg. 
36-0 
inchs. 
oois- 
29-8.50 
51-5 
46-8 
S. 
45-9 
57-4 
45-0 
85-2 
42-3 
0-304 
-29-491 
51-7 
50-7 
w. 
46-7 
59-2 
46-6 
106-1 
45-6 
0-240 
29-563 
50  7 
45-9 
N.W. 
47-0 
56-7 
42-2 
102-4 
37-9 
— 
29-943 
52-7 
48-1 
N.E. 
47-1 
57-2 
44-0 
91-2 
38-6 
0-031 
29-891 
5-2-9 
51-7 
W. 
47-9 
62-8 
47-3 
81-2 
43-0 
o-oio 
29-688 
54-8 
51-0 
W. 
4-90 
60-6 
49-9 
101-8 
44-1 
'0-028 
-29-815 
61-8 
48-1 
47-0 
58-3 
45*2 
93-9 
41-1 
0-66-2 
REMARKS. 
23rd. — Frequently  sunny  in  morning,  wdtli  halo  ;  cloudy  afternoon  ;  rain  from 
7  P.M.  to  midnight.'; 
24th.— Overcast  early;  faint  sun  about  11  a.m.  ;  drizzle  from  noon,  and  .steady 
rain  from  2  P.m.  to  8  P.M. 
25th.— Overcast  with  frequent  rain  early  ;  frequent  rain  after  11  A.ii.  ;  heavy  rain 
between  8  and  9  P.M. 
26th.— Rain  in  small  hours  ;  occasional  bright  sun  in  morning;  overcast  and  dull 
from  2  P.  M. 
27th.— Generally  overcast,  but  some  sun  in  morning  ;  fine  night. 
2Sth.— Overcast  day,  showery  early. 
29tli.— Alternate  sunshine  and  showers. 
A  dull  week,  with  average  temperature  and  rather  more  than  average  rainfall.. 
— G.  J.  Symons. 
