32 Australia : The Dairy Country. 



While in Southern Queensland and on some of the northern 

 tablelands it "is desirable to rug milch cows during the winter 

 months, up north, along the eastern coastland, it is not necessary. 



Along the eastern seaboard, which is well watered by running 

 rivers and creeks, the Blackall Range is becoming an important 

 dairy centre. This district lies to the north of Brisbane, and is a 

 mountainous region containing exceedingly fertile soil. 



Further north again, on the coast, there are large areas in the 

 Burnett, Gladstone, Rockhampton, and Bowen districts suitable for 

 dairying, and in these localities it is rapidly extending. Despite 

 this, there still remain immense tracts as yet untouched by the 

 dairy farmer, which are capable of being successfully brought under 

 the Butter Industry. Considerable portions of the northern table- 

 lands, and parts of Central Queensland, are also suitable for dairy- 

 ing, and a beginning has already been made in these localities. 

 Large numbers of dairy cattle are being imported into the Atherton 

 district in the North. 



As yet, only a fractional part of the country able to support a 

 large dairying population has been touched. 



Dairy Land and Stock. 



The class of land chiefly used for dairying is open forest 

 country, plain scrub land, and rich alluvial flats. The scrub lands 

 have first to be cleared by felling the scrub and burning it off when 

 dry. When cleared, scrub soils are more prolific than any other. 

 Cost of clearing is about $7.20 to $9.60 per acre, and in some cases 

 more. 



Ayrshire Dairy Cows Grazing. 



