RURAL TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIX, Issue 14682, 13 May 1908, Page 8

RURAL TOPICS.

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL. Denmark is pushing the bacon export trade just as vigorously as her dairy products. Although covering an area of lass than 15,000 square miles, and part of it occupied by sand dunes, this country exports about £5,000,000 worth of pork products to England per annum. Danish farmers are dependent for their success in bacon manufacture largely on the of the creameries and cheese factories. Another factor of the greatest importance in Denmark is that the farmers are owr.ers or patrons of the co-opera-tive or relatively small packing establishments scattered over all the country. By this arrangement they are paid for their pigs according to their actual value.

" Nearly every week." says . the "Sydney Mail," "additional evidence crops up to show the lamentable lack of even ordinary veterinary knowledge possessed by stock owners, and the necessity of a training school for veterinary students. But a difficulty has cropped up as regards the establishment of a, college which alone shall have the right to issue diplomas. Both Victoria and Queensland have started Government veterinary schools, but we want something more than this. Whilst each State may consider itself fully equipped in that direction, it may happen that the tests necessary to pass an examination will differ, those in one State being stricter than in the other. Such a condition of things is undesirable, and the only way to obviate it is the establishment of a Federal institute. We have federal quarantine, and in the outbreak of any serious disease, the Federal Government will require the best men to deal with the disease, and the choosing of such would certainly lead to friction if each State had a bacteriological institute of its own. The fact that Australia is considered the healthiest country in the world for stock of all classes, end that outbreaks of contagious diseases are very rare, does not mean immunity. As long as we are allowed to bring in stock from countries outside, there is the liability to infection. The only difficulty in a Federal Institute question will be the location of it N Each State may advance claims to have the preference. This question could, however, be settled in the Federal Parliament.''