30 Australia : The Dairy Country. 



ing industry, and cans of cream are always in evidence on the plat- 

 forms. Owing to its suitable climate Gippsland has become the 

 centre of maize growing in the State, and much of this crop reaches 

 the market in the form of butter and pork. 



In the north the summers are warmer and drier, but the soil 

 is perhaps even more prolific than in the southern parts of Victoria. 

 Large areas are suitable for dairy farming under ordinary condi- 

 tions, and extensive water storage works have been provided for 

 the irrigation of large tracts of country which is being made avail- 

 able in suitable areas for dairying under very liberal conditions. 



The manufacturing and marketing of the butter is carried on, to 

 a very large extent, On a co-operative basis, the factories' being 

 owned and managed by the farmers who supply the cream. Two 

 hundred factories are scattered throughout the State, the largest of 

 them producing upwards of 40 tons of butter per week in the height 

 of the season. Where the farm is close to the factory the milk is 

 taken to the creamery, where it is separated, and the corresponding 

 quantity of skim milk is returned to the farmer. In other cases the 

 farmer owns his separator, the milk is passed through the machine 

 as soon as the cows are milked, and the cream is sent to the factory 

 by road or rail every day or two, according to the size of the farm. 



Dairy Factory Refrigerating Butter Train. 



