10 May, 1919.] 



Dairying at Bacchus Marsh. 



301 



cream, sweetened condensed milk in bulk, as well as in small tins, to 

 suit both export and local trade. 



Tliere are at present 196 dairy farmers in the Bacchus Marsh district, 

 milking- approximately 3,500 cows, supplying the whole of their fresh 

 milk to the local factories; but milk is ■also sent to these factories by rail 

 from Ballan and Melton. Until about six months ago a large quantity 

 of milk was also being received by road from Mymiong, but a branch 

 factory of the P^ederal Comjiany has now been erected there for the 

 treatment of local milk su])plies. 



One very important requirement in connexion with the condensing 

 and concentrating business is that the milk can only be satisfactorily 

 treated if it be clean and fresh, and, to insure these conditions, delivery 

 at the factories is taken twice a day during the summer months. 



An outstanding feature of the district is the regularity of its milK 

 supply, there not being that noticeable seasonal variation in quantity 

 which prevails in most places where factories and creameries are 



Pyke's Creek Reservoir, Bacchus Marsh. 



oi^erating. This is chiefly due to the almost uniform system which 

 obtains here of hand-feeding the cattle practically the whole year rouiid, 

 while this is possibly assisted to a considerable extent by the sheltered 

 situation of the farms and the exceptionally mild Avinters usually experi- 

 enced in the district. 



In order that dairying on valuable land like this maj' justify itself, 

 all wasteful methods must be eliminated. The soil m.ust be made to 

 produce a large amount of fodder in order that a maximum production 

 of milk may be obtained from the cows; hence the methods adopted 

 differ somewhat from those followed in most of the other dairying dis- 

 tricts of the State. On many of the dairy farms here practically all 

 the feed consumed by the cows is cut and fed to them. Dairymen else- 

 where may be inclined to doubt that herds up to 40 cows can thus be 

 probably hand-fed, but on several of these Bacchus Marsh farms the 

 cows are regularly fed in the stalls at midday, as well as in the morn- 

 ing and evening. Of course, the chief fodder supplied them is lucerne. 



