15 Dec. 1919.] Oui/en- Farm Competiiion. 719 



tools and duplicates is kept by Mr. Harmer, -Mr. Hunt, and Mr. Gniel. 

 Mr Giles has no engine, but depends on a powerful liorseworks, driven 

 by four horses, to cut chaff. 



FODDER CONSERVATION. 



It is not sound practice to farm anywhere in the Victorian wheat 

 belt without at least a year's supply of fodder on hand for the horses, 

 i.e., 5 tons of hay, or its equivalent, per horse. Provision, preferably 

 of oats, should also be made for the sheep. 



In the drier Mallee the provision is doubly important, because the 

 risk of crop failure is proportionately greater. Four of the com- 

 petitors had a year's supply of hay on hand (one of them two) ; one 

 had no hay whatever. 



Mr. Gniel had three stacks, totalling 100 tons ; one of them enclosed 

 in a mouse-proof enclosure. Messrs. Giles, Vallance, and Warner 

 possessed over 50 tons of hay each. Messrs. Hunt and Gniel had 

 stored large reserves of " cocky chaff " from the winnower in well- 

 roofed sheds. iCircular receptacles of bush posts and wire netting, 

 about 9 feet high and 16 feet in diameter, are almost equally useful. 

 They can be erected at a cost of about £5 or £6. 



LIVE STOCK. 

 Horses. 



The horses throughout the district were in the pink of condition at 

 the time of judging. They were, on the whole, a very serviceable lot, 

 though, as a rule, did not show uiuch size or many signs of good breed- 

 ing — it being somewhat difficult to get good sires in the Mallee. Some 

 of the competitors ap])earec] to be holding too many horses for the size 

 of their blocks. 



Mr. Hunt possessed, perhaps, the most even lot; but they were not 

 in such good condition as those of Messrs. Harmer and Gniel. The 

 young horses in all three lots were good. Mr. Giles' horses showed a 

 good deal of Shire blood. Mr. Lang had two excellent mares. Portion 

 of Mr. Vallance's team was away. 



Sheep. 



The value of sheep to the Mallee farmer, as soon as the state of the 

 fencing permits, cannot be overstated. 



Sheep make the best use of the pastures indigenous to the wheat 

 belt, and in this country will thrive where cattle will stavve. They 

 keep weeds in check; clean, work, and fertilize the fallows; help to 

 consolidate light soils, and are useful in grazing off rank crops and 

 turning drought-stricken wheat crops into some profit. 



The two natural controlling factors in the Mallee largely deter- 

 mining which class of sheep are likely to be most profitable are the 

 scantiness of the summer herbage and the dust. Mallee farms are, 

 therefore essentially suited to fat lamb raising as against wool pro- 

 duction. 



A quick maturing fat lamb, such as is produced by one of the long- 

 woolled or the Down breeds on cross-bred ewes, is likely to give the 

 best results. The farmer should buy a good line of cross-bred sheep,, 

 and, after taking about three crops of lambs from them, fatten them; 

 off. 



