328 Journal of Agricidturc , Victoria. [10 May, 1911. 



them. The Ayrshire bull running with them is also of good dairy appear- 

 ance. The young stock here — 38 heifers in all — are an exceptionally fine 

 lot. Most of them should make into good milkers ; and, judging on appear- 

 ances, Mr. Dunbar is making progress along this line. 



Mr. Pentland's farm at Traralgon South was the next visited. There 

 are 526 acres on this farm; but a large portion of it is rough country, 

 carrying young stock. It is subdivided into 6 grazing and 10 cultivation 

 paddocks. This season there were 25 acres sown for hay 3 19 acres are 

 in Japanese millet, but most of this had been grazed down at the time of 

 inspection ; 3 acres are in maize, and carrying an exceptionally heavy crop ; 

 and I acre of peas has been harvested for the use of the pigs and poultry. 

 The water supply is from creek and well. 



There is a well-built 20-bail milking shed, but the approaches are 

 rather narrow. The milking is done with L.K.G. machines, which are 

 doing satisfactory work. A large and well .stocked barn adjoins the milking 

 shed, and a silo is now under consideration. Some further improvements 

 are also contemplated in connexion with the separator room and the trans- 

 port of skim milk to the styes and calf paddock. 



There are 73 cows in the milking herd, and 60 of these are at present 

 in milk. The average return from the herd during the competition works 

 out at 3s. 4d. per cow per week. On appearance this was the best dairy 

 herd in the competition, although there was plenty of room for improve- 

 ment. They were grades and crosses of Ayrshire and Jersey ; and two 

 Avrshire bulls were with them. Of pure Jersevs, there are a few nice 

 quality cows, a voung bull, and several well bred heifers, from which the 

 owner intends to increase his stock of this breed. In young cattle, there 

 were 37 heifer calves and 31 two-and three-year-old heifers, many of which 

 promise to turn out well for dairy work. 



The fifth and last farm to be seen was that of Mr. Moller. of Glen- 

 garry, 9 miles out of Traralgon. On this there are 624 acres, subdivided 

 into 14 paddocks; 25 acres were cultivated this season for hay and grain, 

 and 18 acres are now carrying a good crop of maize. A 3-acre paddock 

 of clover, sown last autumn, has made fine growth ; and 2 acres of mangolds 

 promise to be a fair crop 



The cows are crossbreds, showing no special breeding ; and an Ayrshire 

 bull is used. The milking herd contains 89 cows, of which 70 are in milk ; 

 and the average factory return foi the past five months has been 3s. 5d. 

 per cow per week. While not in low condition, the cows might be improved 

 ir this respect , and there is room here for culling also. There are 33 

 heifer calves and 45 older heifers, several of which are to come in shortly 

 ana replace the poorer milkers Some improvements in the milking shed 

 have not yet been completed, but it is kept tidy. In regard to the conveni- 

 ence ano condition., the dairy on this farm was the best seen. The situation 

 cf the chaff shed could have been improved for convenience of stall-feeding. 

 The yards are kept in fair order, the manure being carefully stored for use 

 on the cultivation land 



This was the only place where a record of the work of the farm and the 

 dairy returns has been kept systematically. This does not, however, 

 include the individual yield of the cows. None of the farmers have kept 

 complete dairy returns, though most of them know a good deal about their 

 best milkers, as they have tested them prior to competing in the dairy cow 

 tests at the district shows. But the poorer cows have not been given the 

 attention that would enable careful culling to be carried out ; and, as a. 



