DAIRYING IN VICTORIA.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1450, 27 May 1912, Page 8

DAIRYING IN VICTORIA.

AN AUSTRALIAN EXPERT'S VISIT. Mr. Geo. Sawers, cheeso expert to the Victorian Government, anil a member of a well-known family of that name wln:eh . has given tho Dominion several cheese • experts ami makers, is at present on a visit to New Zealand. Mr. Sa\jors speaks interestingly of tho dairying position of his State of the Commonwealth. There was 110 export trade in Victorian eheeso thes season, He says, but the local trade •'and the West Australian market take a larijo quantity. After eight good seasons tho milk producers of ■ Victoria, he says, are faced with a disastrous position. In the western districts it is npt so bad, but in Gippssland and the north tho drought is serious. In GippMaml and . other parts bush fires destroyed, the fodder -conserved from tho previous season, and which was not required, and on top of this the customary March rains did not come, with the result that no iwinte.r .feed.could.bo grown. The;inevitable result is that great losses in dairy cattle must take place. The industry will suffer a ,big set back,' which will tell on next season's production. In some places irrigation is ' proving the salvation of milk producers, but general advantage is not being taken of this principle, the successful application of which , demands speuial .knowledge and extra, labour.