466 Journal of Agriculture. [ti July, 1910. 



iron. Mr. Norman has been ensiling his crop for .some years and his belief 

 in the system has become, yearly, more confirmed. Unfortunately, his 

 farm contains no flat land, in fact, is steep hilly country. Thus handi- 

 capped, Mr. Norman finds the growing of sufficient stuff to make th3 

 necessary bulk his greatest difficulty, but as the pioneer of the system in 

 that district his enterprise commands commendation. His enthusiasm is 

 remarkable, situated as he is in a community of .sceptics, and is in contrast 

 to the distrust which I found prevailing throughout the shire with regard to 

 the economy of silage-making. 



Approximately, one-half of Winchelsea shire is mountainous, Vjut this 

 rugged country varies greatly in quality : that in the vicinity of Angle.sea 

 River is little better than sand-dunes but the quality improves towards the 

 westward, which portion is very heavily timbered, and fertile to the hill- 

 tops. The road from Forrest to Skene's Creek follows the summit of the 

 range and dairy farms abound along the route. On these holdings, very 

 little clearing is yet done. Thr milking cows graze among the scrub and 

 timber and, owing to the regular rainfall, are at their best during the 

 summer months. There is a life-tim.e of work ahead of these settlers, in 

 clearing alone, and with them a slower rate of progress in making the 

 improvements is to be expected. At some of the farms, less accessible 

 than others, the owners are unable to get the product from the farm to 

 market except by pack-hor.se, and this necessitates its being first made 

 into butter; but most of the farmers sell the cream. The local butter 

 factory at Deans Marsh receives a large proportion of the cream from the 

 dairy farmers in the shire, but there are al.so two cream-receiving depots at 

 Birregurra — one controlled by the Colac Dairying Co. and the other by 

 Holdenson and NielsMn- -which receive a fair .share of patronage. 



There are 230 dair\ Farms in the shire and the total number of cows 

 milking during my first inspection was slightly over 3000. Very few 

 calves are reared, therefore no importance is attached to the class of bull 

 used. Pigs are kept to consume the skim- milk, the return being more 

 direct than when fed to calves. The dairy cows generally are of short- 

 horn type, and it is uncommon to find a Jersey or Ayrshire given a place. 

 The preponderance of shorthorn blood is due to the fact that the supply of 

 dairy cows comes principally through the Colac market, in which district 

 the shorthorn was always .so popular. Seeing that it has been the practice 

 to allow the cows to forage for themselves the year round, I wonder that the 

 superiority of the Ayrshire under the.se conditions has not forced itself 

 irresistibly into the notice of dairymen, more especially as much of the 

 country is very steep, necessitating a large expenditure of the cows' energy 

 in climbing twice daily to the milking shed. I could not fail to notice 

 the effect of this on the condition of the heavy-framed shorthorns and it 

 did not require much persuasion to convince their owners of its reducive 

 effect on the milk-vield also. Already they were beginning to see it them- 

 selves. 



During the course of the inspection I found ocrasion to temporarily 

 prohibit 35 cows from being milked. At the subsequent examination 

 of these by Veterinary Officer ('other, 16 were branded as being 

 permanently' unfit for milking, two had the prohibition extended, and the 

 remaining 17 were not seriously enough affected for Mr. Cother to feel 

 justified in allowing a further continuance of the prohibition. In some 

 ca.ses, however, the ailment, though not detrimental to the milk sujjply, 

 miijht become a source of infection to other cows, and where there was a 



