734 



JoiiDial of Agriculture, Victoria. 



lo Dec, 1912. 



The ])i'eseut conditions are 

 favoral)le to a plentiful season, 

 and I anticipate mu(*li larger 

 returns, wliicdi should result in an 

 increase of revenue from the 

 dairy and pi,i;gerY. The pastur.' 

 lands on the farm are very de- 

 ticient, and require re-so\vin,n'. 

 Havin,i>' again got possession of 

 the o() acres of land which had 

 lieen ntilized l»y the De}»artment 

 of Agriculture for the ]iurpose of 

 carrying out Hax-growing experi- 

 ments, this has l)een placed under 

 fodder crops and pastnre grasses, 

 which are growing splendidly. 

 Strawberry clover is establishing 

 itself in all the swampy lands, 

 and improving the carrying 

 capacity of the farm immensely. 



Improvement AVork. 



Subdivision fences have heen 

 erected, and all old fences re- 

 I)aired, while six old gates have 

 l)een re])laced by new ones. All 

 the land which was under New 

 Zealand flax has been cleaned u]) 

 and brought into a good state of 

 cultivation. It is proposed to 

 subdivide the flax ground and 

 eventually get the whole of it 

 mider grass, the opinion being 

 that this is the best pasture 

 land on the farm. An a,ddi- 

 tijnal 7 acres have been cleared 

 of tussocks and stnm])s. The 

 trees in the old orchard have 

 been taken out, ;ind the land pre- 

 pared for cropping. Noxious 

 weeds, such as ragwort and 

 thistles, have been kept in check, 

 and ferns cut twice. Poi-tions 

 of the low lands have been cleared 

 up and sown with grass. 



Labour. 



Althougli the number of colo 

 nists has been up to the average, 



