M4 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. 



[lo April, 1911. 



farmers were asking the Government to supply seed wheat to carry them 

 on, but that it is one of the richest portions of the State. The general 

 impression existing in the minds of the majority of people living in our 

 large cities is that the Mai lee consists of an uninteresting, lifeless belt 

 of flat sandy country, densely covered with scrub and cursed with 

 droughts, sand and flies. Such an erroneous and harmful impression has 

 been the cause, until quite recently, of this splendid country not receiving 

 the attention it deserved from the agriculturist. 



Any one visiting the Rainbow country, say, in November, and holding 

 these mistaken ideas, would be agreeably surprised to find large tracts 

 of nicely sheltered, undulating country, waving with tall, luxuriant crops 

 and natural pastures. Having just completed judging the local farm 

 competitions (see January Journal), I have had ample facilities of ascer- 

 taining what can be realized where improved methods of agriculture are 

 adopted. Rainbow is the terminus of the railway line, due north of 

 Dimboola, and is the centre of an extensive and rich agricultural district. 



HARVESTING LE HUGUENOT WHEAT, MR. J. DART S FARM, RAINBOW. 



It derived its name from a peculiar formation of raised land, in the 

 shape of a rainbow, which extends for a considerable distance quite close 

 to the town, and known in the early days as the " rainbow " horse pad- 

 dock of the Albacutya sheep station. This portion of the run, some 

 fifteen years ago, was regarded as a desert ; to-day it is successfully 

 growing wheat, and grazing stud sheep and mares. 



The potentialities of this portion of the Mallee are unlimited. The 

 good seasons that have prevailed during the past five years cannot be 

 reasonably expected to continue without a change, but the Mallee gene- 

 rally can now meet a couple of bad seasons with some degree of 

 equanimity. The large yields of wheat produced in the district last 

 season conclusively proved how valuable the Rainbow district is to the 

 State. It had the proud distinction of having delivered to the local 

 railway station the greatest quantity of wheat, a record to be envied. 

 The following figures convey some idea of the rapid progress brought 



