lo March, 1910.] The Advainages of Subdivision of Estates. 133 



THE ADVANTAGES OF 8UBDIVISI0X OF ESTATES. 



The Results of a Three-years' Experience of a Subdivided Estate 



IN THE LiLYDALE DISTRICT. 



/. S. Mel' adzean, Dairy Supervisor. 



The value of agricultural land is based on its contained fertility as 

 represented by its capacity to produce an estimated quantity of some 

 saleable commodity. The natural fertility of land is always possible of 

 improvement by cultivation ; and up to a varying limit, the more systematic 

 that cultivation is, the higher the production will be. On this fact rests 

 the practicability of the system of closer settlement. To allow of such 

 -settlement being profitable there must, however, be a fair working margin 

 in sight between the price of all land purchased for this purpose, and 

 its prospective value when ultimatelv brought to its full state of produc- 

 tiveness. Where full allowance has been made for this, the subdivision 

 •of land for closer settlement has a fair prospect of being satisfactory to 

 all concerned, and not otherwise. 



In reviewing the conditions of the dairying industrx then existmg ni 

 the Lilvdale Shire, allusion was made in the Journal, of February, 1907, 

 to the probability of some of the larger estates there becoming subdivided 

 before long ; and their carrying capacity for stock being accordingly 

 increased. Since then, some little progress has been made in this direction 

 with Mr. Joseph Timms' St. Hubert's estate at Yering. 



This property lies between the Yarra and the Healesville-road, some 

 6 miles to the north-eas: of Lilydale ; and was so named by one of the 

 •original owners, jNIa". Hubert de Castella. Along with the Chateau Yering 

 estate, and a large area of adjoining country, this property was purchased 

 from the Crown by Mr. Paul de Castella some 45 years ago. Soon 

 <ifterAvards. that portion which comprised the St. Hubert's estate, as later 

 named, was sold to Messrs. H. de Castella and Andrew Rowan, who 

 carried on dairying and stock raising here for many years. 



Among the manv improvements effected under Mr. Rowan's manage- 

 ment was the Ijuilding of a levee bank to keep back the flood waters of 

 the Yarra from the rich flats lying on that side of the property. This 

 Jjank is about 4 yards high and about 9 yards wide at the base, and extends 

 •down the whole length of the St. Hubert's river frontage of some 5! miles. 

 A smaller bank, with drain above it, was also made at the foot of the 

 rising ground on the other side of the flats to check the surface water 

 from the hills, and carry it round to the river ; thus leaving this low lying 

 j^round protected from flooding other than by the rain falling directly 

 on it. Only one breakaway is recorded in connexion with this work, 

 and that occurred about 1 890-1 ; not long after the bank was built, and 

 before it had become properly settled. 



The St. Hubert's " No. i " milking shed and dairy, with rough pit 

 silo adjacent, were also built by Messrs. Castella and Rowan ; and the 

 spacious brick buildings comprising wine cellars, men's quarters, stabling, 

 ^c, which surround the homestead will long remain as evidence of much 

 capital spent in improvements under their ownership. The wine cellars, 

 which have quite recentlv been converted into bacon and cheese factories, 

 were contained in a large two-storied brick building divided into two 

 pans. The larger of the.se is fitted with lifts, and had a floor space of 

 38 vards Ijv 40 vards ; but a portion of this is now partitioned off for the 



