22 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



was sown broadcast at tlie rate of 7 lbs. to the acre. The iirst crop was 

 cut and fed^ then it was irrigated, and afterwards grazed. He had a 

 similar area under amber cane, which grew to a height of 8 feet. A 

 third dairyman, Mr. Lockwood, has 60 acres of lucerne, wliich he 

 irrigates, and off which he has taken for the six months ending last 

 April £3 per acre for milk alone. Mr. Curtis keeps 12 cows, which 

 he feeds on lucerne, and in the height of last summer, when every- 

 where else was bare, he was taking 18 gallons of milk to the creamery 

 daily, and made a gross average return of over£ll perhead. Mr. Hastings, 

 in January last, was milking 33 cows for 100 gallons daily. Six 

 weeks later his fodder became exhausted, and, notwithstanding the 

 fact that, he had three newly-calved cows, his supply fell to 40 gallons 

 daily, and he was of opinion that the period of lactation of his whole 

 herd was shortened by at least two months. He stated that had he 

 had fodder to keep his cows going, he estimated that he would have 

 procured another £100 for milk for the season. He had made pre • 

 parations by sowing a sufficient area with sorghum, but as the result 

 of an accident, a large portion of it became flooded. Mr. Hobson, who 

 also grows lucerne by the aid of irrigation, has all his cows fit for the 

 butcher, in addition to keeejDing them in full profit during the height 

 of the summer. If we go to the northern districts right to Kerang, 

 we also find many instances of profitable dairying, notwithstanding 

 the adverse season. Mr. Bott, of Kerang, kept 40 cows for thi^ee 

 months on sorghum grown by means of irrigation, the water for which 

 had to be pumped on to the land ; when he started feeding his sorghum 

 the supply went up from 37 to 67 gallons in two days, and continued 

 whilst his fodder lasted. Mr. Murphy, of Kerang, also grew sorghum 

 by means of irrigation to a height of 10 feet. He sowed it last 

 December, and irrigated it twice, by means of pumping, at a cost of 

 3s. 6d. per acre. He took off the first crop in March, and again 

 watered it, and his second crop grew to a height of 6 feet. He calcu- 

 lates that an acre cultivated in this way and irrigated would provide 

 an ample supply of food for two cows for six months. Many others 

 might be mentioned who have met with considerable success in these 

 neighbourhoods by means of irrigation. 



Intense Culture- 

 Even in warmer climates, where more adverse conditions prevail, 

 much is now done by means of irrigation, which Victorian dairymen 

 might seriously take into consideration and give practical effect to. 

 On the 12th June I had some photographs of sorghum grown in 

 Adelaide by means of irrigation, the water for which was raised fi'om 

 a depth of 40 feet with the the aid of an oil engine*. Some 40 or 50 

 dairy farmers are now dairying there the whole year round, and when 

 supplies are scarce with others they succeed in making most money, 

 irrigating generally from 10 to 12 acres. A well is put down about 

 the centre or at one side of the block. A six horse-power oil engine 

 is used, lifting between 10,000 and 14,000 gallons of water per hour, 



* The subjects were selected for me by Mr. A. J. Ridgway, Grange, Adelaide. 



