July 1 1909 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
can be made much the more profitable of 
the two branches of dairying. 
In the Shire of Lilydale one of those 
who have changed from butter-making to 
‘this wholesale milk supply business is 
Mr. G, L. Fiedler, of Dorset-road, Croy- 
don. This farm of 120 acres has been 
rented by Mr. Fiedler for several years 
past, and on it he now keeps 29 head of 
milking cows and a few young stock. 
Twenty-three acres are cultivated for 
oats, maize, peas, rye, and a little market 
garden produce. A fairly regular supply 
of green feed is obtained throughout the 
year by monthly sowings of such of the 
above crops as are suitable to the season. 
Having previously been more extensively 
engaged in market garden work on this. 
place before his dairying operations 
developed to their present extent, Mr. 
Fiedler has a good knowledge of the 
the 
This, in some 
cultivation necessary to sustain 
requisite fodder supply. 
measure, counterbalances the draw-back 
which must necessarily arise from the 
absence of a silo on the farm. 
When the first inspection of dairy farms 
in the Lilydale Shire under the Dairy 
Supervision Act was made in 1906 this 
dairyman’s name was mentioned among 
those whose stock were giving the best 
At the close 
of that year the seventeen cows on this 
farm were making 114 lbs. of butter per 
week. Since then, progressive methods 
have been suggested and adopted, the 
herd has been increased to 29 head as 
stated, and during the year just past the 
herd has given an approximate average of 
540 gallons of milk percow. In February 
returns in cream or butter. 
of the present year 23 cows (including: 
heifers) were giving 50 gallons daily, A 
recent test of the herd over 24 hours 
showed 5 per cent. butter fat on the total 
milk yield, which works out at about 82 
Ibs. of butter per cow, or a good advance- 
ment on the 1906 production. However, 
the sale of the produce from this herd, 
even at the high butter-fat average 
Stated, isas a direct return, far more 
profitable when disposed of as fresh milk 
than it would be if 
Manufacture of butter. 
The heifer calves from the best cows 
are raised each year, and any surplus 
separated for the 
stock find a ready local sale. All the cows 
are well cared for, being rugged in cold 
weather, and stall fed at each milking, At 
the date of inspection they were being 
given chaffed hay and maize with about 
4 lbs. of bran each daily. They are a 
useful looking lot of cattle, with extra 
good udder and milk-vein development, 
fairly low set, well bodied, bright 
looking, and very quiet—typical dairy 
stock throughout. In 
February of 1903, Mr. Fiedler’s six cows 
made 75 lbs, of butter per week between 
them. By breeding these cows to pure 
Jersey bulls, his present profitable herd 
was built up. 
January and 
Another dairy farm in the same dis- 
trict, which, though on a still smaller 
scale, presents several points of interest, is 
that of Mr. R. A. Cummings, Kilsyth | 
This is a 40-acre block near the Canter- 
bury-road, Dandenong Creek at Bays- 
water to the foot of Mount Dandenong; 
and which is still largely in its unimproved 
state. There was a thick bush growth of 
timber, scrub, and wire grass on. this 
land when it was acquired by its present 
owner some fifteen years ago. It is a cold 
heavy grey soil over rotten stone with a 
clay subsoil. 
The natural vegetation here is of no use 
for milk production, and the low price 
of the land was the only inducement it 
then offered to settlement. The last 5 
acres of the block was brought under 
cultivation about eighteen months ago; 
and a profitable farm is now the result of 
that fifteen years’ work. . 
As the land was gradually cleared, fruit 
trees were planted in the first few 
acres, and vegetables were grown for 
market. The taking up of dairying work 
was the outcome of the necessity for pro- 
viding humus to improve the land, The 
ground was found to improve rapidly, 
both iu texture and productiveness, by 
the use of farm yard manure. The dis- 
tance from the city placed the obtaining 
of the necessary quantity of stable manure 
beyond consideration. The idea of 
keeping dairy cows, and thus getting a 
double return from them by using the 
manure to improve the soil, was therefore 
put into practice. 
The purchase of a cow for the pro- 
37 
duction of the household milk and butter 
is one of the most important events in 
the early history of each small farm. Very 
few settlers, however, make full use of 
their farm animals, for they allow the 
bulk of the 
waste. A very conservative estimate of 
this product suggests that fully £2 worth 
of manure per cow is allowed to waste on 
many farms each year through want of 
thought. The careful use of this farm 
manure has been a great aid to the success 
of many sma | farms in this district; but 
in the majority of cases much of it is 
allowed to accumulate 
farm-yard manure to 
on camping 
“grounds, and adjacent to slip-rails and 
such places to leach and wash away with 
every rainfall, instead of being carefully 
gathered and used for the improvement 
of the soil. 
Housing of the cows at night was 
practiced on Mr. Cummings’ farm from 
the first; shed. 
drainage were carefully collected to be 
used as required. As the land was 
gradually cleared and brought under cul- 
tivation, more fodder and surplus market 
vegetables were produced; and the stock 
were increased accordingly and handled ; 
on the profitable lines that had been 
followed from the start. Mrs. Cummings 
had charge of the dairy work, and the 
accounts were kept methodically. The 
direct monetary result of the dairying 
was thus always under observation. It 
was consistently satisfactory, for the 
stock were well fed. This is another item 
in farm management that is too often 
overlooked by the small settler, Fre- 
quently, more cows are kept than can be 
supplied with sufficient fuod from the 
area cultivated. The result is ill-fed cows 
and poor returns, One well-fed cow will 
give a better return than will be obtained 
from three otheis that are kept on short 
rations; and it is much easier to milk and . 
look after one cow than three, Usually 
a settler’s first cow is well cared for, and 
she gives a good return for her keep. Too 
often, however, the stock are increased 
without allowing for a corresponding 
increase in the available fodder; and the 
result ix that all are poorly fed and none 
are profitable, On the farm referred 
to, however, every cow is as well fed and 
and the manure and 
