DAIRYING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 373 

product had an average yearly value of 41,753,300. Oilcake 
and meal formed an item of £697,500, and fruit and nuts one 
of £641,900, whilst the value of the seeds shipped was 
4278,500. Glucose and grape sugar worth £565,000 and 
hops worth £420,400 were also items of importance. 

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 
The quantity of butter imported into the United Kingdom 
from New South Wales does not at present approach in 
magnitude the receipts from Victoria and New Zealand, but 
the rapid growth of its consignments lends particular interest 
to certain details relating to the development of the dairying 
of the oldest Australian colony, which are contained in the 
official account of the Wealth and Progress of New South 
Wales. The natural characteristics of many parts of the 
colony, and especially the central districts, are, it is 
stated, very favourable to the pursuit of this branch of 
farming. Most of the native grasses have been found 
particularly suitable for dairy cattle, and the mildness of the 
winter season enables dairymen to avoid the heavy expense 
of stall feeding, as, though a certain amount of winter fodder ~ 
is grown, it is given to the cattie in the fields. The area of 
land devoted to green food and artificially sown grasses has 
been largely extended during the past few years, and in 
March, 1899, amounted to 429,136 acres, but this acreage is © 
still believed to be below present requirements. Ihe 
number of breeding cows at the end of 1898 was estimated 
at 676,500, of which 410,053 were dairy cows. A 
comparatively large increase has taken place in the 
number of milking cattle, as many stock owners, principally 
in the neighbourhood of the coast, are turning their atten- 
tion to dairying instead of fattening for market. Constant 
attention to the peculiarities of the climate and the needs of 
the inhabitants, as well as the judicious crossing of strains, 
is stated to have developed a breed of cows peculiar to 
