294 T'J^c Country Gcntlcviaiis Magazine 



as if lie missed some one; how he turned out As to the number required, one cock to 



of the yard into his run, and presently returned six or eight hens is the number usually al- 



with his favourite hen ; and how they then lowed if the eggs are to be set ; if not, one 



enjoyed together their grains of barley, better might do for a yard of fifteen or twenty 



to them than grains of gold. hens. 



A DAIRY FARM IN AUSTRALIA* 



THE estate of Bodalla, consisting of about 14,000 lish counties. During my stay, ninety-one cows were 

 acres, is situated upon tlieTuross River, about 200 mill<ed twice a day (tal^e iith December), and gave 

 miles soutli of Sydney (the river runs tlirougli the 190 gallons of milk, giving 228 lb. of gi-een cheese, 

 centre of the property, a length of nearly twelve The cheese are kept for four months before being 

 miles). It consists of rich alluvial flats, nearly free sent to the market ; a fortnightly supply is regularly kept 

 from timber, backed up by gentle undulations, termi- up ; the cheeses run from 20 lb. to no lb. I ought 

 nating in hills, with high mountains to the north, to mention here that no cheese is made on Sundays, 

 The timber on the river consists chiefly of mahogany but that day's milk is made into butter on the Tuesday, 

 and oak, and on the hills and ridges, of blackbutt. The dairy and cheese-making is under the care of Miss 

 box, and apple tree. The extent of the property at Lillias M'Lean (of long experience with Messrs 

 present cultivated consists of about 2000 acres, of Hervey of Glasgow), whose constant aim and pride is 

 which quantity Mr Mort farms 500 acres ; the re- to keep up the well-merited character of the Bodalla 

 mainder is let to tenants. On each of the farms com- brand, and who seems, judging from the state of her 

 fortable cottages, yards, milking bails, &c., have been dairy, cheese-room, &c., to consider "cleanliness 

 erected by the proprietor, who also supplies each next to godliness." The milking shed and bails are 

 tenant with a requisite number of milking cows. The the most complete I have seen. They consist of four 

 rent they pay is three day's milk a-week, which is rows of bails, shingled over and slabbed, eighty in 

 delivered at the homestead ; there are certain condi- number. Each cow is bailed up in her own stall. 

 tions as to the rearing of pigs, &c. As this arrange- By a convenient arrangement of ropes and puUies, it 

 ment has only been in existence for a short time, I is unnecessary to go up to the head to bail and unbaiL. 

 cannot say how it will answer, but to my mind a hand- A crib is fixed before each, filled with green stuff, on 

 some competence must be the consequence. In no which she quietly feeds during the milking. The 

 part of the world could more favourable terms be cows are not unbailed until the last one is milked. A 

 granted. With a liberal minded landlord, comfortable man precedes the milkers (six in number) who leg- 

 liomes and appliances, high-class milking cows, rich ropes and washes the udders of each cow. A head. 

 English grasses, good prices for their produce, and man follows, whose duty it is to strip the cows, thus 

 with almost a nominal rental, if non-success follows causing a check upon the milking. Silence is strictly 

 the fault must be the tenants. I regi-et to say some of enforced during the time. The milk is poured into- 

 the farms visited were not kept in that tidy order in buckets placed upon a car, and run by a wooden train 

 which I am sure they must have been handed over. direct into the daiiy. Although only ninety-one cows 

 T wish particularly to describe Comerang, the home are now being gi'azed upon the 250 acres of Comerang, 

 station, farmed under Mr Mort's supervision, and on the manager informs me (and of this I feel assured, 

 which the celebrated Bodalla cheese is made. It con- judging from the quantity of grass after four months' 

 sists of 250 acres of the river flats, surrounding the drought) he could easily carry, and carry well, a cow 

 the house, fenced into four paddocks. The land is to two acres. The cows do not seem of any par- 

 laid down in prairie, cocksfoot, rye, timothy, meadow, ticular breed. The Durham appear to be the founda- 

 fescue, alsace, and clovers (more valuable grasses are tion of the herd, and now crossed by the Ayrshire;. 

 now being cultivated). The paddocks are thoroughly but the main rule is " milking," quantity and quality, 

 drained by box culverts (quite works of engineering and constant culling. The calves are taken from the 

 skill) ; each paddock has separate watering places, in- cows immediately after calving, and fed twice a day 

 dej>endent of the river. I cannot describe in too on whey. During the day they run in a well- 

 glowing tei-ms the richness and verdure of the fields, grassed paddock, and are housed at night in well- 

 more resembling the meadow lands of our best Eng- ventilated but warm buildings, with boarded floors, 



■ troughs, and hayracks. 



- An account o f the " Bodalla Dairy Farm," the property of '^^^^ pigs on Comerang (about 200) are the finest 



Mr T. S. Mort, by a correspondent of the ^«jir?-a/(TJiVr« I ever saw, being the Prince Albert and Berkslnre. 



