350 Joiirnnl of Agriculttire, Victoria. [10 June, 1918. 



Otlier features of interest were : — 



(a) The farm machine shed, where, under competent agricultural 

 engineers, all types of farm machinery were taken apart and re-assembled 

 as practice for students. 



(b) The cafeteria, where the students were their own waiters. They 

 took a large tray, a serviette, fork, spoon, and knife, and walked along 

 a railing containing all types of eatables. They selected what they 

 required, and carried the eatables on the tray to their seats, and paid for 

 the meals on a la carte basis. 



(c) The battery of silos: Six 120-ton silos were erected side by side 

 near the cow barn. 



(d) The vineyard, comprising 35 acres of vines, Avith 550 different 

 varieties of grapes. 



The stock on the farm at the time of my visit comprised 130 head 

 of dairy cattle, 56 head of beef cattle, 260 sheep, 25 goats, 400 hogs, 

 12 light horses, and 15 pure-bred Percherons and Shires. 



University Farm, Keakney Park, Fresno. 



This farm consists of 5,400 acres of rich land, bequeathed to the 

 University by a wealthy bachelor named Kearney. The value of the 

 property is estimated at $1,000,000, and it is used to provide revenue 

 for the University. The net profit last year was over $60,000. Por- 

 tion of the area — 2,000 acres — has been rendered unfit for cultivation 

 by the rise of salt and alkali — just as at Cohuna, Victoria. 



In the county of Fresno over 200,000 acres of raisins are grown, the 

 majority being the Muscat of Alexandria and Thompson's Seedless. 

 The average production of raisins in Fresno is from IJ to 2 tons. 



Kearney Park is in charge of a very able manager — Mr. Friselli — 

 and I am obliged to him for much valuable information on various 

 aspects of fruit culture in California. 



At Kearney Park, 800 acres are planted to vines. Most of these 

 vines are twenty years old. The crowns of the vines are like huge 

 balls, and on the south side (the sunny side) the vines get badly burnt 

 with the heat of summer. Mr, Friselli is attempting to rejuvenate these 

 by bringing up suckers from below the ball-like crowns. 



Although the rainfall is otily 8 inches, for six years these vines have 

 not been irrigated, owing to the water table being so near the surface. 

 The annual yield of raisins for the past six years was 1,020 tons from 

 800 acres of vines. 



Two mules were hauling a steel waggon on which cuttings made two 

 days before were being burnt as the car moved along the rows. The 

 cost was Is. 8d, per acre. 



The men were pruning at the time of my visit. Forty were engaged 

 on this work, and they received $3 per day. The average grape-picker 

 earned $5.20 per day last year. They receive $3 per long ton — 100 

 trays of 22 lbs. green weight. The Japanese labourers earned $12 a 

 day picking grapes by piece work. The grapes dry in the proportion of 

 3,4 to 1. 



The principal raisin is the Muscat of Alexandria, This is dried in 

 the sun — not dipped in lye — by placing in boxes 2x3. The bulk of the 

 raisin crop of the United States is marketed in cartoons. The raisin 

 industry is in the hands of a co-operative raisin company — an associa- 

 tion of 85 per cent, of the groAvers of California. 



