506 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Aug., 191»5. 



price, and have his springers come in very poor and weak; nor would 

 he have had the receipts for cream and milk during the three months 

 shown above. 



The hay, wheat, and straw he would have had if he had sown later ; 

 they are put in to show that, by early sowing, you can get two crops first 

 milk, and later hay or wheat. 



The lessons to be learned from the drought are, for South Gippsland, 

 at any rate : to plough stubble early, or have fallow ready in January ; 

 work to a fine tilth ; drill in in February 2^ bushels Algerian oats, with 

 100 lbs. suitable manure per acre. If you can do so, cross drill half the 

 seed each way, so that the ground may be covered as soon as possible. 



If your ground is in fine tilth, you need not be afraid to sow before 

 rain, no matter how dry the ground is; it is very seldom a crop fails in 

 the autumn if properly put in. 



Have a reserve of grass and clover hay cut during good years, or 

 oaten, pea or other straw. (I am not giving advice to the man who fills 

 a silo every year; he does not need it.) Have a stack-yard and make 

 suitable stacks of fodder. Do not be tempted to sell or waste this straw 

 or hay, as droughts will home again as bad, or worse, than 1914-5. 



Overstocking. — Do not overstock; do not overstock, especially with 

 dairy cows; this should be stamped on the lining of every dairyman's 

 hat. If you must overstock, stock up with cattle that can be turned 

 off quickly as fats, and so make room for your cows. 



You never see a fattener overstock; he always has grass to spare. 

 He can see his mistake, if he overstocks, quicker than a dairyman ; it 

 is written quite plainly on the backs of his bullocks, and he can see it 

 every time he goes down the paddock. Again, do not overstock; be 

 able to say, " I am right for the next six months; there is enough green 

 stuff sown, ensilage, hay, and straw in the yard to see m© through." 



Milk less and better cows; weigh and test milk, and cull heavily; 

 make twenty cows do what thirty are doing; less work, less feed, for the 

 same money. It can be done. 



Grow at least half an acre for each cow milked. T.et the green 

 feed get a good start before putting stock in — another week's growth in 

 the early stages will give you a lot more feed later on. 



It pays to grow feed and milk in a bad year — many dairymen got 

 2s. 3d. for butter fat last winter. 



Do not give a weak cow dry chaff. A strong cow will do better on 

 chaff that has had boiling water put on it, and covered for twelve 

 hours. Dry chaff is very injurious to a weak cow. 



Keep your herd young — the old cows were the first to go — very few 

 cows are worth keeping over nine years old. 



Have drinking water in troughs at convenient and accessible spots — 

 one at the yard, if possible. Weak cows are afraid to go down steep 

 or into boggy places for a drink, and so become very thirsty. When 

 they at last go in they drink too much, and get chilled, and are unable 

 to get out again. 



Many dairymen lost enough cows through this cause to put up three 

 wind-mills, let alone one. 



Do not milk your cows too long in the face of a bad season and no 

 green feed. It is hard to notice the falling off in condition from day 

 to day. Keep a close watch, and when cows start to lose condition 

 rapidly, dry them off at once. Provide good winter paddocks for your 



