15 Nov., 1919.] Directions i7i wJiich Agriculture tnay he Developed. 645 



Dairying Industry. , 



The dairying industry of Victoria is capable of great expansion. 

 Our climatic and soil conditions are eminently suited for dairying. 

 No other country, save, perhaps, New Zealand, has such a uniformly 

 mild temperature, such rich pastures, or such natural conditions for the 

 production of high quality and high grade dairy products. Yet our 

 average production per cow does not compare favorably with countries 

 which have poorer soil, climate, and pastures, nor can it be said that the 

 quality of our products are what they might be. 



It has been estimated that one-third of the dairy cows in this State 

 do not pay for their keep. If these cows were disposed of the State 

 would be readily richer in consequence. According to statistics pub- 

 lished in the Commonwealth Year-Book, the average yield of milk from 

 the cows in Victoria is 397 gallons. Even if it is assumed that the 

 average test is 4 per cent., this means 158 lbs. of butter fat per cow. 

 The cost of keeping a dairy cow has been variously estimated from time 

 to time, but with the high costs of labour, feed, appliances now operating, 

 it is doubtful whether a cow can be kept for less than £10. Hence 

 the average cow with a production of 158 lbs. of butter fat, even with 

 the present high prices of butter fat, barely pays expenses, and with 

 normal prices for butter fat she would be a decided robber. 



In the Colac Herd Testing Association, of the 600 cows tested 300 of 

 them failed to reach 200 lbs., and fifteen failed to give even 100 lbs. 

 of butter fat. If these are the actual returns from the cows in the 

 best dairying country in the State, what may be expected from the cows 

 on poor to average country? 



Increased production per cow may be effected through the triple 

 pathways of better feeding methods, the use of high-grade sires, and the 

 drastic weeding out of the unprofitable " boarder " cows by the formation 

 of Cow Testing Associations, and an extension of the herd testing now 

 in vogue for pure bred herds. 



Diversified Agricuetuee. 



Last year I had the opportunity of contrasting agricultural condi- 

 tions in the United States with those in Australia. The two countries 

 are very similar in many respects. They are almost identical in area. 

 One-half of the United States has a rainfall of 20 inches or over ; one- 

 third of Australia enjoys a similar rainfall. The climatic conditions 

 ars otherwise in favour of Australia. But the impressive feature of 

 American agriculture in contrast Avith our own is the extent to which 

 it is diversified. 



Wheat is our great staple crop and our export crop. The success or 

 failure of the wheat crop to a large extent determines the financial 

 solvency of the country. America, on the other hand, is neither a one- 

 crop country nor a one-stock country, but is a land Avith great diversity 

 in crop production, and is equally strong in live-stock production. 



Maize, cotton, hay, wheat, oats, lucerne, barley, flax, sugar, tobacco, 

 and fruit are grown over enormous areas, each type of crop being 

 confined to the region in which it thrives best. 



I would like to give you a few statistics showing the production of 

 some of their staple crops in order to give you some idea of what a 

 country with the same area as x\ustralia may produce when it is fairlj' 

 well on the way towards full agricultural development. 



