CHAPTER V. 

 DAIRYING IN THE GOLD FEVER DAYS. 



The importance of the dairying industry is now an established fact, 

 and that we are living in a remarkable era as far as ou'r pastoral and 

 agricultural industries are concerned cannot be gainsaid. When we 

 remember and reflect upon the value of ou r r exports drom 1833 to 1883 

 (a period expending over half a century-, and the means afforded for 

 carrying such outside the confines of Australasia, and compare these 

 decades one with another and the total with each advanced decade 

 since, the power and the manner of conveyance, the value and condi- 

 tion of Australian produce, the whole may be summed up as denoting 

 an historically important epoch. Wool, tallow, hides, horns, dairy 

 produce, and minerals -formed our staple products during the years 

 1833-49, and were conveyed on board ships registering from 600 to 800 

 tons, which, if successful, made annual voyages to and from London 

 to Sydney. With the growth of time and progress of events, Aus- 

 tralia has developed the dairying industry, which to some extent never 

 could get a sufficiency o>f energy thrown into it to force the production 

 of butter and cheese beyond local requirements from the discovery of 

 gold in 1850 to the beginning of 1883. Since the year 1883 the wealth 

 and vast improvement in the dairying industry have reached such 

 dimensions that the great maritime nations of Europe are eagerly con- 

 tending on our waters for the 'freight available in connection with this 

 business. Here we have ocean racers of unrivalled capacity, sym- 

 metry, and steaming power, representing England, France, Germany, 

 and America, competing in national rivalry for shipments from Sydney 

 to the large and populous centres of the old world for our excellent 

 butter and cheese weekly. What a marvellous striae in Australian 

 commercial advancement ! To sustain this dairy produce on a per- 

 manent and profitable basis it is essentially advisable that sound judg- 

 ment should be displayed in the selection and management of our 

 herds. 



The value of scientific farming and artificial manures in promoting 

 nutritious pastures for cattle is a matter for serious consideration at 

 all times. The desrre for entering upon the dairying industry is ap- 

 parent all over the colony. Properties that were occupied solely for 

 agricultural purposes or .iat cattle raising for market are in many 

 instances completely transformed into dairying and mixed agricultural 

 industries, which materially increase the output and give additional 

 value to our yearly exports. Nevertheless, the business on a large 

 scale is one of considerable risk to many of our colonists, and requires 

 mature consideration and considerable practical experience before 

 people should embark in the venture. 



The selection of farms and runs is a matter of serious concern to 

 the agriculturists who intends to make dairying the principal factor 

 in his occupation, as dairy cattle cannot be raised on such a great 

 extent of land in Xew South Wales. It will be on the class of cows 

 that he possesses or intends to possess that much of his success will 

 depend ; therefore he should satisfy himself that his ijmd will with 

 judicious management, support the dairy herd and to spare each year. 



Although much has already been written about the vast and almost 

 incomprehensible strides made by Australia, it was not Teally until 

 some years after the discovery of gold that anything approaching a 

 boom began in industrial pursuits in the colonies It is no part of 

 our purpose in this article to describe life at the diggings although 

 many of the coastal dairy farmers took the gold fever and went into 

 the fields, while the wives and families remained behind looking after 



189. 



