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DAIRY FARMING IN VICTORIA.
Sir. D. E. Martin, Secretary for Agriculture,
has been furnished by Mr. A. Crawford,
manager of tho Government travelling dairy,
with tlie following report upon dairies visited by
liim in tho North-east and Goulburn Valley
districts : — . .
Having spent tho past five months amongst
the dairies and dairying districts of the North
eastern and Goulburn Yallcy portions of
Victoria, it is just possible that my observa
tions may bo of 'somo interest, and perhaps
instruction, to those who liavo an interest iu
dairy farming.
Iu tho comparatively cool districts of tlio
colony I liaVo often heard complaints about. riot
being able to make butter in the hot weather,
while up near the Murray some farmers manhgo
to mako it ail the year round. Of tho coolo3t
dairy building that I saw, tho largest, "and best
perhaps, wns at Dookie Agricultural College. I j
was built of brick, two stories high, tho lower
one quito underground, and had three roofs, and
a wide verandah in front. Tho lower room kopt
very cool, and tlio upper ono was used for
separating nnd general dairy work; but as
this kind would bo too expensive for the
great majority of farmers, I will not go into
particulars, but will descriuo somo others that
can bo creotcd at a comparatively small expen
diture of timo and money. One of the most
elaborato on a farm had walls 8 feet high, nrndo
oi wattle and daub, whitewashed on the out
side, aud a verandah all round- Insido socond
walls wero put up with touguo and grooved
boards witli 8 inches clear spaco between tho
two walls ; this spaco was filled up with
dry sawdust. A boarded ceiling ran across
12 inches below tho walls, nnd on top of tho
ceiling sawdust was spread to a depth uf 2 feet.
Overall was a bark roof, and 3 feet abovo that
again was an iron roof. Ventilation was
effected by two windows covorcd with wiro
gauze to keep out ilics, &c. The floor was brick
set iii cement.
I t es tod the licat with the thermometer in
tlie shade outside, and it was 88 deg. F., wliilo
iu the dairy it only showed 59 deg. F. This was
about 3 in the afternoon.
Tlio owner told me that churning or printing
could ho deno hi this dairy all the year round.
Only onco in four years had it beon too hot to
print, and that was after'thrce days hot wind,
wlion tho thermometer stood at 111 deg. F. in
the shade in the house verandah.
Tho noxt dairy visited was on quite a dif
ferent principle, heiug sunk 4 fo'et in tiie ground,
and wattle arid daub walls quito a foot thiok
roso 4 feet high. A mud ceiling, 12 inohes
thick, was lined with'calico. Over tho top of
all and extending about 5 feot beyond the walls
on all sides was a thick bark roof which camo
down to witiiin about a foot pf tho ground ou
either side. Floor was earthen and ventilation
not provided for except by a door. This dairy
had been built about 12 years, and the owner
said butter could bo mndo iu it nil tho year
round without any trouble. Tho aotual dif
ference in temperature' when I was there — a
comparatively cool day— was 15 deg. lower than
Bhado outside. Tho next one was almost
entirely underground, being 8 feet deep, with
walls 3 feot above ground and small double
windows at cither side. The insido roof was
of mud about 2 feet thick, and above all an
iron roof. Tho walls were all covered with
some kind of evergreen shrubs. There wero
double doors, nnd a fireplaco that provided
ventilation or heat as required was at ono
end. Heat in the verandah of house 105 deg.
F., heat in the dairy 60 deg. F., about 1.30
p.m. Tho next and last I will describe was
most primitive aud cheapest of nny, aud, I
think, quito as effectual. About 4 feet
was sunk in tlie ground with walls of logs
notohed iuto each other, and tho ends
roso about 4 feet above. The spaces between
the logs wero filled up witli mud. Tlio
insido roof was low,' pitched, and shing
led. About 3 feet above that again was a
bark roof, and then over tho whole building,
sides, roof, bock, and front was a green
creeper growing most luxuriously. Insido
tho dairy it was delightfully cool. The
actual difference in temperature between the
outside shade and tho dairy was 35 deg. All
tlie attention tho creeper required was somo of
tiie waste water put on tho roots in the dry
timo of the year. It was always cool'enough to
mako butter hi a churn, as tho owner said, any
time of . tho day, month or year. Still it had
what might bo considered a drawback by some,
as it was said to be a regular breeding placo for
snakes, and thoy wore often found in tho dairy.
However, being sensible, hard working people,
with not sufficient capital yet to develop a sen
sitive, nervous temperament, thoy killed tho
snakes, and used the dairy and made money.
In some of tho hottest partB of tho Goulburn
I saw and ate most delicious butter in tho hot
weather, but I nlso saw somo tbo presanco of
which at tho table was most objectionable. I
do not think hotter butter can bo produced hi
tlie colony than the Goulburn, and with a bettor
rainfall or irrigation it would bo an unsurpassed
dairy distriot. Ono of tho groat faults amongst
thoso who did not makp tho good butter was
keeping the cream too long. Many in tlio hot
weather only churned once a week, and by that
time the cream was often mouldy from decay,
and sometimes a seething mass of maggots. It
was too much trouble churning twice when
onco would do, and these porsons still wonder
why thojr do not got as good a price as some of
their neighbors. At one place I called at the
dairy- was under the bed, nnd tbo good lady of
the house lifted the valance and showed mo 16
dishes of what she said was tbo best milk' in the
district. Sho wanted mo to tasto it, but I was
not thirsty just tlieu. Certainly tho cottage
was a small one, amf only contained two
rooms, and I do think where tho milk was
was the cleanest spot obtainable. .Another dairy,
mado of sheots of bark for walis and roof,
had the fowls keeping guard over it at night
and the pig by day against the gates, and still
the owner was not satisfied with the price of
butter. Tlieso are the exceptions, and few and
far botween, I hope. Yet thoy exist. The
next fault, I think, is tlio manner in which
many overwork the butter in getting the
milk out and the salt in. They work it
and knead it and handlo it and squeeze it
as though they loved it ; consequently any
grain that ever was iu it is completely
worked out, and it resembles grcasa in all
but color. I think I succeeded in con
vincing somo that their great affection in this
case, or the mode of showing it, is misdirected.
As to tho pocking, how can wo got some people
to see through tho same "specs" as others? I
woudcr do some think that tlio arm of a man's
colored shirt rolled round tho batter will
add - to its price in Melbourne, ' or tho
trimmed edging of a muslin _ dress, or
petticoat, cause extra oompetition among
tho buyers. If they do, it is a great mistake,
and yet these things are to bo seen in tho
sale rooms at tirneB. Suppose tho butter has
been well mode and well packed, bat it is often
spoiled on the way to tlio railway station.
Packed in a light box and put in a spring cart
or buggy, and driven 10 or 12 miles unprotected
from tlie sun that would mako a chronometer
..run up to ubout 130 deg. F. or 140 deg. F., is
not an effective means of transport. A wet bag
over and under tho box would often make all
tlio difference between tho butter being good or
bad wheaji.fl-ffiy.sd at.ita destination. v
$