25 April, 1917. J Increasing Prinninj Production. 245 



of the pasture, and in many cases wheat, oats, pasture, bare fallow is a 

 rotation coiimionly ])ractised. 



In the ijioister parts of the Stale, where the moisture is sufficient to 

 dispense with bare fallowing, the growing of fodder crops for feeding 

 down to sheep should lie more widely practised. This will eiiahle the 

 farm to carry more stock, the soil fertility will be greatly improved, and 

 better crops of wheat will be reaiied. Systematic crop rotation, asso- 

 ciated with landi raising, brings many other advantages, and must be 

 I'egarded as es.sential for profitable wheat-growing. The particular type 

 of rotation followed, however, must be adapted to the climatic conditions 

 of the district in which a farm is situated. 



Finally, choice of the right varieties of seed, the careful grading of 

 seed, and the systematic selection to increase its prolificacy are other 

 essential factors. In these times of high wages, labour should be made 

 as efficient as possible. It is good business to use the largest im]>lemeuts 

 possible, so that the utmost value will be received for a day's labour. 

 Twenty-hoe drills, multiple furrow ploughs, 8-ft. harvesters, &c., enable 

 each unit to handle larger areas, and thereby lessen the cost of 

 production. 



The implements which now form a large portion of the capital of 

 the farm should be kept at maxinnim efficiency by overhauling them at 

 frequent intervals and replacing worn parts, and by keeping in stock 

 some of the more important duplicates. 



Irrigation. 



As Victoria must look for future agricultural exjjansion in the 

 direction of intensive culture rather than the multiplication of acreage, 

 it follows that the extension of irrigation and the increase of water 

 storages should be accelerated. Irrigated agriculture, with its certainty 

 of control over soil and crop, has infinitely more possibilities than dry 

 farming. 



Irrigated agriculture at Mildura supports one person for each 2 acres 

 of land cultivated. The Mildura settlement, as a dry farming area, 

 would probably not support more than twenty families on the 12,000 

 acres devoted to irrigation. 



When all the existing streams in Victoria are harnessed, at least 

 750,000 acres, possiby 1,000,000 acres, will be devoted to irrigation. Tlie 

 main factors for .success in settling such an area are — the acquisition of 

 suitable land at a reasonable price, settlers with suitable experience and 

 capital, the building up of a systematic body of irrigation knowledge t<i 

 guide the .settlers to success, and adequate and stable markets for irriga- 

 tion products. 



DEVELOI'MElNfT OF SmALI.ER INDUSTRIES. 



Victoria offers, by reason of its soil and climate, and its compara- 

 tively dense settlement, good opportunities for the successful establish- 

 ment of industries which have not yet secured a firm hold in x\ustralia. 

 In this connexion, flax, tobacco, and sugar beet may be mentioned. It is 

 admitted that our soils are eminently suited for these products, but 

 hitherto labour difficulties have been the chief cause of their non-success. 

 Tariff adjustments, or the adoption of adequate bonu.ses, are probably 

 the liest way to fii-mly establish these infant industries, as it has been 



