47« 



■Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [11 Aig., 1919. 



The winters are severe; usually the ground is covered with snow 

 for a week or so annually, and during tliat period, at any rate, stock 

 mu3t be hand fed. For many years the settlers hauled their produce 

 laboriously over the steep worn road to Mansfield — a trip which took 

 two days to get a loaded waggon there, and required about three horses 

 to each ton. Recently, however, the Counti-y Roads Board has con- 

 structed a new well-graded road, which will considerably reduce the cost 

 of haulage, while ancther road has been authorized, linking up the 

 settlement with Whitfield, 25 mi'es distant. 



The new roals have cons dera1;ly raised the spirits of the remaining 

 selectors, and it behoves them, in keeping with the brightened prospects, 

 to critically examine their present methods in the light of their 

 past experience with a view to eliminating all practices that are not 

 sound. The results achieved by one of the settlers, Mr. T. Reynclds, 

 along lines new to the district, though well known elsewhere, are cer- 

 tainly very suggestive of what might be done at Tolm'e, and are w:rthy 

 of careful examination in an impartial manner by those most interested. 



Horses and Stable — Mr. Stewart's block. 



Present Methods. 



The present style of farming may be fairly typically exemplified by 

 that of Mr. J. Stewart, a s.ettler of 30 years standing. Mr. Stewart's 

 selection consists of 280 acres of second-class land, but in addition a 

 further area of 250 acres is rented This is an abandoned se ection heavy 

 with suckers, and is to be had merely for paying the rat«s and keeping 

 the rabbits in check. Mr. Stewart has not made the common mistake of 

 trying to develop this block as well as his own. 



The cultivation is confined to 15 acres of potatoes and to 15 or 20 

 acres of tartarian oats for hay. The stock comprise a dozen milking cows, 

 five horses, and from 30 to 40 head of young cattle, but these at times 

 receive grazing, in addition to that available on the two blocks. These 

 are kept for two or three years and then sold as stores. They 

 improve rapidly when they get on to better country. The hay is used 

 to feed the stock during the winter, and sometimes maize is grown to 

 supplement the summer feed of the dairy cows. 



