10 Journal of Ar/riciiJtitrc, Victoria. [10 Jan., 1918. 



THE ROAD TO SUCCESS IN DAIRY FARMING. 



Bj^ J. S. McFadzean, Senior Dairy Supervisor. 



Here in Australia as in most other countries there is a general 

 tendency for the rising generation to leave the country districts in order 

 to seek employment in the cities. Yet the normal man desires an out- 

 door life, and undoubtedly many of those who now live in the city would 

 exchange the " cribbed, cabined and confined " way of their daily 

 routine for the freedom of country life, if only they were sure that 

 agriculture could be made profitable. 



No one who has given consideration to the question will dispute 

 that the wealth of the State depends on the rural workers. As a class, 

 farmers, graziers, orchardists, &c., are a wealthy as well as wealth- 

 producing i^eople, though, of course, many following these occupations 

 will never attain financial success. Still it is the individual and not 

 the occupation that is usually to blame if the rural venture proves a 

 failure. The energetic, thoughtful man will succeed in whatever branch 

 of agriculture he takes up, just as the indolent or indifferent worker 

 is almost doomed to failure. 



It is comparatively easy to get a small start in dairy-farming, 

 consequently cveiy year a number of people take up this branch of agri- 

 culture. Some succeed ; some drift along just barely keeping afloat 

 on the financial tide ; some fail. Failure is in a few instances caused by 

 misfortune; but more often non-success arises from the idea that the 

 business is a simple one, and consequently the beginner does not set to 

 work to learn it in a sufficiently determined manner. 



For the recruit in dairy-farming there is much Avork for both his 

 brain and hands. The occupation calls for a close study of a wide range 

 of subjects in all of which a good practical, as well as theoretical, know- 

 ledge is essential to success. The symbolic archway illustrated here will 

 be found useful to remind, not only the beginner, but many an older 

 dairy-farmer also, of building-stones which must not be left out of his 

 business. 



A good foundation is an absolute necessity for every project, 

 and the dairy-farmer will find that a determination to succeed will carry 

 him to his objective. The individual lacking persistency is very apt 

 to fail in any business, as misfortune usually falls to every one at some 

 time; but to those blessed wdtli determination the setbacks of fortune 

 serve to develop latent resources, and result in the successful grappling 

 with trouble. On this foundation energy and thrift are next required. 

 That energy is essential will soon be recognised ; and, as dairy-farming 

 is a business which sometimes demands a daylight-till-dark seven-days- 

 in-the-week attention, the lazy man does not stop long at it. Energy, 

 thrift, and the dairy herd have saved many a farm from financial 

 disaster, Avhile laziness and waste have as often resulted in the loss ot 

 both herd and farm. Thrift is the judicious husbanding of resources 

 until necessity calls for their use, but it is a qualification that is too 

 often confounded with meanness or parsimony. Good management 

 requires that tlirift be shown by never using up money or fodder unneces- 

 sarily, but on the other hand parsimony must on no account be allowf"* 

 to prevent the proper feeding or housing of the stock. 



The value to the farmer of a constant study of all matters pertaining 

 to his business cannot be overestimated, for it brings to him a knowledge 



