A WOMAN'S DAIRY FARM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 142, 10 March 1908, Page 3

A WOMAN'S DAIRY FARM.

Does it pay? . ■-.'. Could,- one . woman'' work' a v 'dairy';"farm ' by''. herself-?.::!':-.'."-v." 1 ; ■' ~ ' The question - was asked by . "Sheba," ..of the Melbourne "Argus," and was [answered - by-her..hostess, a woman>!;.who - is .making ; - dairy -farming, pay.,! .'. ..V'- -,;. ... , ; J : -''^.es.; if ; slie .'.is.[.healthy,, industrious,' and ;. intelligMt it,-is', qui'te .within' her,.'powers, ex-:' :..., cept for'bMasiohal.'assis.tancq.iri. connection. ■ -with , fodder, icrops,. such- as /ploughing/and , harrowing. .. Suppose a .woman brought up in tho . country ;is left' : 'a widow with ■ £500-/ or: rather , less,'"l'd : strongly ..advise . hereto : buy , ' ... -12 good' cows 'at,'£lo'.per>head, ,an'd ;lcase,. ; ■■.[[' say,\6o acres of land ■.(rentai;,£3o,.per' aniium): ;., in a inoist : dairying [district:'[Five" acresper. beast would keep the herd iiv.goid condition and allow room-to grow fodder. A separator. ■ - ■■■■'■for 12; cows .would cost ,£35," and,/besides, , : our farmer would -need ;,a, ;cart, a ~pair of, . medium draught: horsesj' 1 a plough, and a pair, of .h'arpws.She c6uld inilk' I 2 cows unaided, but tho cost /of occasional ploughing,' etc., 'dpwn'as'fiM per year." ' . for: outlay!;'■' What' about' returns?'-/. V;-'-'■ l :' ■ _ "should'earn -£10 per.' month, -.-hy. cream. r Then thero' are the; : by-products i.e.,[ calves',' pigs, l aridnpoultry—all ' clear' proht. I reckon.' their value ,'at £50 or "£6O i yp.arly v ; : Alsor one- generally! makes -a' feiy' .' : pounds !by [surplus "fodder. '■'! ..Add up . the lteniSj and you'll fiiid tho total. is • not bad interest on, the 'invested', capitalof cash'and-' industry. ; V Another plan/would be 'to buy' •50 acres 'under; the closer 1 settlement'schehib! lhe purchaser- would' fulfil certain 'prescribed 1 , -- conditions'; and; .pay ' £45., annually;; and'' ' tho ; farm vfould, bo .'her own'' at'.,tho end of 31 years." But' this arrangement toiight'' come , hard on,a ,lone woman.;'■ There would be re-'' ~ quirements/to .coMply. with', outbuildingi/ to j erect, -and .so ;'o'n, whilo- by ..leasing a place the, widow'-, would , probably" get" a houseand 1 . i -,accessary. milkingfixtures '.'all ready for" use. ■; - Not .that a 'good .managing dairy, farmer nbed' remain' lonely ; for long! • After all,' men have' -some sense, and in a' dairying district' • a sensible widow or. spinster who makes lier [[ own place 'pay^'cari,soon .have;a- helpmate, if; • she .want's'.'o'he.', ,"/ As ..for! dairy '.'farms,' where there', are'' several /young'/ daughters'' or .'sisters, such[, anestablish'mdht is, .never" short of helpers. The bachelors "round "about ai;e " always r.oady, to give/aihand with','the milking or make'themselves useful ''inany other way.", .; ' ■" , '. ■ ",[.;/,", ■' lhe, questioner . consults • another, expert, ■ and hears pf .a. mother who carries !on ,' a witt. :i ilio K assistance of three : - daughters. - They, uso ii milking-machine, which .operates;.daily...on; 60 and their -neighbours .testify,.; that, ..the, girls,, drivo a chaffcutter as cheerfully as if it were a sewing-machine. In Gippslaud three sisters do fairly well on 50., acres,: for .which they paid £10 per aero. The land is good enough to feed a.cow', en two acres, 1 , while in spring •' a milker fattens on ono ; acre. ' A lady, who owns'-. 10; acres' 'of .:good, '■well-watered ■ land, 1 believes in lucerne as a fodder, and derives 1 her' income' from 'Six 'c6ws ''(£OO, por- annum), 200 .fowls- (£ls. profit per 100 for' tho'yoar), 20 hives of bees, : and a few jiigs.; ■The bees • and piga pay in the long run, their owner believes, though she has no statistics to show. The widow's bonnet, which used to bo rather a . clumsy and unbecomirig affair of folded crape, is often mado ,now of chilfon with a, little crape introduced. The veil is. seldom of any/thicker material than 'plain' black net with a border of,.crape. Even in mqurhing, the effect is all for that lightness ■ . of touch of other stylish modes.'' " A critic,' discoursing ' on ; stylesj' givps a specimen from ono of Jlario Corclli's; books. Tho Gospel 1 says, "Pilate took water, arid washed, his hands." [ Miss' Corelli-expands , it■•"Slowly Ibwering'his hands, 'ho;dippcd them into the, shining .^>owl,. rinsing them over and, over .' again in. the clear, cold ele-; .ment, which sparkled in its [polished receptacle liko an opal against tho' fire."—" The' Coining Day."