Australia, The Dairy Country Part 3

The price varies according to locality. Remoteness or proximity to market have to be considered. It is essential for the dairy farmer to be near a railway. The intending settler can either select Crown lands from the Government, at prices varying from $0.60 to $4.80 and upwards, or if he has some capital he can purchase a freehold farm. Good dairy freehold land can be bought from $14.40 to $24.00 per acre, but close to the railway in the older farming districts it reaches up to $96.00 per acre.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "Ladylike," Ayrs.h.i.+re Dairy Cow.]

In ordinary times $24.00 to $38.40 is paid for a good average cow; heifers up to $21.60. Similar prices rule, generally speaking, in regard to all the States. An ordinary cow would earn from $2.40 to $4.20; and a good cow from $4.80 to $6.00 a month, whilst in profit, on an eight months' average milking.

Dairy Breeds in Use.

The milking breeds most in use in Queensland are the Ayrs.h.i.+re, Jersey, and Milking Shorthorns. Herds of Holsteins, Guernseys, and other breeds have also been established. Some fine specimens of these dairy cattle are to be seen throughout the State, and at the large annual shows of pure-bred stock, held at Brisbane, Toowoomba, and other centres.

The Queensland Agricultural College, a State inst.i.tution, breeds high-cla.s.s dairy bulls for sale to farmers, and herds are being also raised on the State Farms.

Cows should bring in not less than $3.00 per month, or be turned out as useless. The average is about $3.72. Up-to-date men will not keep a cow who does not average this for her milking.

Cost of Starting on 160 Acres.

This, of course, varies with the circ.u.mstances of the case, and depends largely on whether a man has the capital to push forward his operations, or is content to gradually get his land into working order. A man with $720.00 to $1032.00 could make a good start. If the land was taken up at $2.40 per acre from the Crown, his first year's deposit would be $18.24, and he would have sufficient to fence the land, buy some cows, and put up some sort of a house. Necessarily a settler does not spend much on his house at first until he has made some money. On the other hand, many of the most prosperous farmers in Queensland have started with only a few pounds, sufficient to pay their first year's rent. By fencing his land himself, the settler can save a good deal of expense. And by working for neighbouring farmers, he can gradually acquire money to buy stock from time to time.

On the other hand, if he wishes to begin straight away, and has a little money, he can get a.s.sistance from the Agricultural Bank, a Government inst.i.tution, which advances $0.60 in the $ towards improvements, and $0.50 in the $ for stock, machinery, and implements, charging 5 per cent. simple interest.

COST OF STARTING A DAIRY FARM ON 160 ACRES.

$ Rent--1st year's deposit and survey fee 18.24 Fencing--2 miles at 96.00 per mile (posts 12 feet apart and 3 barbs) 192.00 12 Cows at $28.80 per cow 345.60 2 Horses at $72.00 144.00 Plough 28.80 Harness 24.00 Swingle bars and chains 6.00 House--24 12 feet, slabbed and floored, at $4.80 per foot 115.20 Milking-shed 24.00 Yard 48.00 30-gallon Separator 60.00 Cart (second-hand) 24.00

Some small items, such as rations, milk-room, tinware, &c., have not been included in the estimate. If the fencing were erected personally, the cost would be materially reduced. If the settler built his own house, it would cost him little more than his own labour and the iron for the roof.

Many beginners put up cheap sapling yards for a start, and at a nominal cost. This would materially reduce this estimate.

The Average Herd.

The average herd is about thirty head, but many farmers milk from 80 to 150 cows daily. The number of cows that could be kept on an average farm of, say, 160 acres depends entirely on the land, and the amount of cultivation or area under artificial gra.s.ses. From thirty to eighty head would be about a fair estimate that good land would carry.

One dairy farmer in the West Moreton, who landed in Queensland twenty-five years ago with $0.36 in his pocket, now has 160 acres of freehold, of which he cultivates 50 acres for feed for his cows and pigs. He began by working for his neighbours for the first few years, and thus gained both cash and experience. He now milks thirty to fifty cows the whole year round, and he makes from $720.00 to $864.00 a year from his pigs. His income from all sources is from $1920.00 to $2400.00 per annum. Six or seven years ago he paid $5280.00 for the place, but to-day he would not take $14,400.00 for it, and there is not a penny of debt on the property.

[Ill.u.s.tration: An up-to-date Milking Shed.]

Gra.s.ses.

The natural gra.s.ses of Queensland are sufficient in ordinary seasons during the summer months for the dairy stock, but no farmer can successfully carry on dairy operations in dry times, or in winter, by means of the gra.s.s alone. He requires to supplement the gra.s.s by growing fodder for the winter months.

Splendid results have been obtained by sowing artificial gra.s.ses, such as Paspalum dilatatum, Rhodes, Prairie, Guinea, and Giant Couch gra.s.ses.

Winter Feed.

Barley, lucerne, wheat, rye, sorghum, &c., can be grown for winter feed.

On land which will grow lucerne, a certain supply of fodder can be conserved. Lucerne (or alfalfa, as it is called in America), once planted, will last from five to ten years.

The b.u.t.ter factories were first started by proprietary companies, and their cream depots were scattered all over the farming districts.

Compet.i.tion was exceedingly keen, and in some of the towns.h.i.+ps there were four or five rival cream depots, all endeavouring to get the biggest shares of the cream.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Jersey Cows.]

Of late, a number of co-operative factories run by the farmers have started, and proved very successful, enabling their shareholders to get a higher price for their cream than hitherto. They are admirably managed, are essentially popular inst.i.tutions, and have done splendid work.

The farmers establish, manage, and work them, and the profits, instead of going into the pockets of the middlemen, are distributed among the shareholders.

State Aid to Co-operative Factories.

Under a vote by Parliament the State makes advances to farmers to establish co-operative dairy factories. The loans extend over a period of fourteen years, and 4 per cent. interest is charged.

Condensed Milk.

The Preserved and Condensed Milk Industry promises to become important in the near future. Six factories are now in operation.

Messrs. Nestle and Co., the world-renowned firm, have invested $480,000.00 in their Preserved Milk Industry in Queensland. It speaks well for a country when an old-world firm such as this is prepared to invest so largely.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

A large area of South Australia is eminently adapted to successful dairying, and while the summer is dry, rendering it necessary to make provision for succulent feed for several months, the temperate nature of the climate enables the dairyman to keep his cows in the open right through the year, the natural shelter in timber country being sufficient, except on a limited number of days of extreme wet and cold.

Stall feeding for weeks at a time is unknown; the necessary shelter sheds can be cheaply provided, while the labour of feeding is, under these conditions, reduced to a minimum. In the northern districts conditions are not so favourable as in the south, but even here dairying can be profitably carried on; the fact that land is much cheaper compensates for the shorter period during which the natural herbage supplies practically all the feed required. In some of the driest of our farming areas dairying has largely replaced wheat-growing, and, although the yield per cow is naturally not so high as under more favourable conditions, still low rents and large areas of natural pasture enable the farmer to make a fair profit.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Cream Cart, North Coast, N.S.W.]

The Dairy Industry, though of considerable magnitude, has not made as much progress as was antic.i.p.ated. This is probably due to the fact that wheat-growing and sheep-breeding combined offer greater attractions to the farmer. These industries require a great deal less labour than dairying, besides which the work is not so continuous. So long as highly profitable returns can be obtained from the production of cereals and the breeding of lambs, the Dairying Industry is hardly likely to make the progress that would otherwise be possible, though there has of late years been steady and continued development in the industry, especially in the northern districts. In the south and south-east, where conditions are more suitable, there has, on the other hand, been very little extension.

Large quant.i.ties of b.u.t.ter are exported to Broken Hill and West Australia throughout the year, while during the spring months s.h.i.+pments are made to Great Britain.

b.u.t.ter is exported in increasing quant.i.ties to Great Britain each year.

In normal years from 1400 to 1600 tons are s.h.i.+pped.

Cheese is not made on such an extensive scale proportionately to b.u.t.ter; indeed, in some seasons sufficient for local consumption is not produced. Practically all the cheese is manufactured on the Cheddar system, and an article of very high quality is produced in the best factories.

Special facilities are afforded by the railways for the conveyance of perishable goods, and cream is forwarded by the dairyman to the city factories from districts 300 miles distant. Payment is usually made on the b.u.t.ter-fat percentages; and in order to afford suppliers an opportunity of checking the returns received from private factories the Government established a b.u.t.ter factory in connection with the export freezing works at Port Adelaide. At this factory every can of cream is sampled, and the quant.i.ty of b.u.t.ter it will produce is ascertained by the usual methods, and the supplier is paid accordingly.

A considerable number of b.u.t.ter factories have been erected in South Australia, and the b.u.t.ter produced is generally of high quality. The b.u.t.ter made from the milk of cows grazing on the natural herbage of the country is of splendid quality and colour. Hand separators are in general use, the cream being sent to the factories for treatment. The percentage of b.u.t.ter-fat in the milk of cows grazing on the natural pastures is unusually high.

Practically the whole of the midland, central, and south-east districts, excepting that portion east of the Murray, are suitable for dairying practice when carried out on systematic lines. The prices for such land for dairying would range from $24.00 to $240.00 per acre according to location, soil, and rainfall. No special terms are offered by the Government for the occupation of dairy lands. Most of the repurchased estates are in districts suitable for dairying, and these are allotted under covenant to purchase. The purchase money is paid off in seventy half-yearly instalments (the first ten bearing interest only at the rate of 4 per cent. on purchase money). Purchase money may be completed at any time after nine years. Reliable particulars of successful dairying are difficult to obtain. It is safe to say that there are many hundreds of dairymen making comfortable livings throughout the State.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fodder Crops--Lucerne, Mangels, Rape.]