Journal of Agrtcidiurc. [lo Aug., 1909. 



Should this come about, dairying operations could be put on a more sub- 

 stantial footing by the cultivation of succulent fodder crops over a much 

 larger area. At Nyah, situated on the Murray, 18 mdes below Swan 

 Hill, are 2,000 acres of mallee land which have recently been thrown open 

 as an irrigation settlement. This area is cut into blocks varying from 

 40 to 70 acies each, and the settlement will have its own independent 

 water supph-. The main object here, it is understood, is to produce fruit 

 on similar lines to Mildura : but no doubt dairving will be carried on in 

 many instances as the source of revenue until the trees or vines come into 

 bearing. 



The Dairy Farms. — The number of dairv farms where irrigation is 

 practised is 81 ; and the acreage represented is 28,479 acres. The farms 

 vary in area from 47 to 1,700 acres, the average being about 350 acres. 

 From the results obtained by various farmers in the district it is clear that 

 such an arear is far too' large for one man to work profitablv. 



The average number of cows per dairv farm in the irrigable area is 22. 

 While on all these farms a certain amount of cultivation is done 

 for grain, crops, the principal industry on the whole is dairying. Here 

 is exceptionally rich land with an abundant water supply, in a climate 

 warm enough to force its vegetation to almost a tropical growth and yet 

 the average farm of 350 acres with dairying as the main source of income 

 onlv carries 22 cows. The three essential features for the heavy growth 

 of fodder crops are here pre.sent, namelv, lich land, heat, and moisture; 

 but the pitv of it is that there are net three times the number of farmers 

 on the area, working the land as it should be worked and thereby greatly 

 increasing its productiveness as a whole. Given proper attention and treat- 

 ment this land should carry at the rate of fully one cow to 2 acres the 

 vear through. It can therefore be easilv seen that the holdings are far 

 too large to be kept up to their full \ ielding capacitv bv individual 

 families. 



The smallest dairy farm in the irrigable area is that of Mr. J. H. W. 

 Baker, of Tyntynder South, whose holding consists of 80 acres. Ten 

 acres are de\oted to fruit-growing anid 24 acres of the remainder are cul- 

 tivated as follows : — 5 acres lucerne, 5 acres sorghum, 2 acres millet, and 

 12 acres oaten hay. Fifteen cows besides some half-dozen farm horses 

 are kept on the remaining 46 acres. In December last, the cows were 

 in milk, yielding an average of 2 gallons per cow dailv. With the fodder 

 cut from the cultivation this number of cows is easily kept in milk 

 throughout the vear. This owner ackncAvledges that the remainder of 

 his land could le made very much more profitable if it were brought under 

 cultivation ; but he is satisfied with his returns (which for the previous 

 year were ^400 gross) as he is not inclined to emplov outside labour to 

 an\- further extent at pre.sent. 



Lucerne Growing. — Lucerne is eminently suited to this district and it 

 is the staple fodder crop grown ; but the method of cultivation adopted 

 does not conduce to the production of the greatest quantitv per acre. The 

 general practice is to sow the seed broadcast at the rate of 8 to 12 lbs. 

 per acre, then as soon as the paddock is sufficiently well established, graze 

 it off. Another method is to sow in drills with a cereal crop which acts 

 as a cover and protection to the young plants. As the cereal crop ripens 

 it is cut, leaving the young lucerne to grow until fit for grazing. 



The final results from either of these methods are unsatisfactory inas- 

 much as in either case the young ])lant does not receive the chance to 

 develop. Furthermore, the trampling of the voung plants bv grazing 

 cattle on these heaw black soils, anrl the biting out of the crowns of the 



