II July, 19 io.] Dairying in the W'iiicliclsea Shire. 465 



sheds, are pitched with stone, which, combined with the good natural 

 drainage of the site, keeps the place clean and dry. 



In all there are 15 paddocks, about six of which are usually under 

 cultivation. One of these, containing 15 acres, has recently been let for 

 market gardening at jQz per week. From the herd of 50 cows an average 

 of 350 quarts of milk is distributed daily to some 230 customers. Two 

 carts are used in this retail work, which is concentrated as far as possible 

 in the adjacent suburb. 



From its proximity to the citv, the good quality of the land, and its 

 facilities for irrigation, this farm is particularly adapted for the profitable 

 production and distribution af fresh milk. And with well-fed cows, strict 

 cleanliness, the use of the refrigerator, and other up-to-date methods of 

 dairy management, it is an object-lesson in metropolitan dairying. 



DAIRYING IN THE WINCHEL8EA SHIRE. 



Report to the Thief Veterinary Officer. 



/. i\I . Kerr, Dairy Supervisor. 



Having now completed the second inspection of Winchelsea Shire I am 

 enabled to furnish some information as to the state of the dairying industry 

 in this district. Hostility to the Act — never very pronounced — has 

 entirely disappeared, and the opinion was frequently expressed that the 

 new order of things must be preferable to the old. The need for fairer 

 collection of fees, and for more effective supervision, was generallv recog- 

 nised and my recommendations were accepted almost invariably in good 

 spirit. This favourable attitude ,Jed me to anticipate that necessary 

 structural improvements would be speedily disposed of, but on my second 

 visit I found that, owing to the coal miners' strike making the price ot 

 bricks prohibitive, instead of the impervious floors being completed they 

 were only being commenced. However, I am confident that, at the third 

 inspection, there will be very little at fault as far as sanitation is 

 concerned. 



The most suitable portion of the shire for dairying extends along the- 

 Barwon River from the Ingleby Estate — a few miles below Birregurra — 

 up to Barwon Downs, and it is at the latter place that one sees the best 

 dairy herds. Only a .small proportion of the rich Barwon flats is devoted 

 to dairying and the reason is not easilv explained, unless it be that land- 

 owners choo.se to accept .smaller returns and escape the more arduous and 

 incessant work which dairying entails. For a couple of miles on either 

 side of the railway line, between Deans Marsh and Barwon Downs, almost 

 every holding is a dairy farm, and many of them are very choice little 

 properties, extremely well adapted naturally for the purpose. On a few 

 of these, summer crops are grown but not in quantities to be conserved. 

 Some good crops of maize were seen, but very wasteful use was made 

 of this valuable fodder ; the practice being either to turn the herd on to 

 the crop or to cut portions of it daily and throw it to them whole, in the 

 paddocks. 



The only silo I came across was at Pennyroval, on the property of Mr. 

 Norman. It is square in shape and the walls are of plain galvanized 



