AGRICULTURE IN AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3096, 29 May 1917, Page 8

AGRICULTURE IN AUSTRALIA

JUiVISTER-S IMI'KESSIOKS. While ho was in Australia tho Hon. W. .0. S. AlacDonald (Minister of Agriculture) mado some inquiries into the work of th.o Agricultural Department and its institutions there. In tho course of M"I "'"if' n ith a BoS "NWN reporter, Mr. MftcUonald gave somo of his impressions. *

~ D « r "'?. n 'y ( Btay "i Victoria. I visited tho Wpmbeo Stjvto Farm, and was verv much interested in tho work that is beinc carried on thoro in respect to experiments with different cereals and also in .tho growing oMuccrno, tho fattening of lambs, and dairying. The farm has a particularly lino herd of Bed Poles, which appear-to be good average milkers, showtest of from 4.2 to 6.2. The Agricultural Department have built at Wernbee accommodation for returned soldiers and anticipate that shortly a fair number oi men will go to the farm for special training; _"I_also visited the dairying districts of Western Victoria, which include my native town, Camperdown. A great change has taken place in this district since I last visited it; many of the large estates liavo been- cut up and are now being run-as dairy farms. In this particular district dairying is carried, on all the year round with, a systematic method of feeding the dairy herds. I visited also the Hawkesbury College in New South. Wales, and was very much- interested in the splendid work being done there. The principal of the college. Air. Potts, appears to be a most capable man, and he is doing very good work for New South Wales, and, I might say, for tho wholo of the Commonwealth. Tho college is at present dealing with from 150 to 180 learners, and boys rrom other colonies are taking advantage of the facilities offered for agricultural education at Hawkesbury. Outside the educa. tional and instructional branch for tho boys a great amount of experimental work has been, done in connection with grass ond oereale, and especially with, lucerne. The Department goes in largely for breeding purebred etock—dairy cattle,'horses, sheep, pigs, and poultry— and is meeting with considerable success in this direction."