A visit to Koo Wee Rup in 1886 - part 2

In May 1886 The Leader newspaper had a two-part report of a visit to the Koo Wee Rup area. This was before the construction of the Main Drain. Part one of the report appeared in The Leader on May 8, 1886, it is transcribed here and you can read it on Trove, here. Part two, appeared in The Leader on May 15, 1886, it is transcribed below, and you can read it on Trove, here.

A VISIT TO KOO-WEE-RUP. No. II

By Our Agricultural Reporter

One of the most energetic holders of swamp land is Mr. D. M'Gregor, of Coburg. The extent of this gentleman's property in the swamp is 3500 acres, situated about 5 miles nearly due south from the Pakenham railway station. A great deal of useful work has been done here, and good results obtained for the expenditure of time and money. Main drains surround the entire property, and one subdivides it. Between 500 and 600 acres has been reclaimed, the scrub cleared and is now sown down with English grasses. 

The main drains were partly constructed by the drainage committee, but have been enlarged by Mr. M'Gregor; altogether 27 miles of drains have been excavated, varying in width from 3 feet to 12 feet, and in depth from 3 feet 6 inches to 5 feet. The main drains are double, with a space of 30 feet between them, on which all the earth taken out is deposited, thus forming a strong embankment, which is of immense service in keeping back flood water. The outer drain is 12 foot wide by 5 feet deep and the inner one 10 feet by 5 feet. These have been found sufficient to protect the paddocks from the influx of flood water, though a considerable extent of undrained country lies northward, the waters from which are carried by these drains to some of the numerous inlets from Western Port Bay. An important fact in connection with these main drains must not be lost sight of, they act as a secure and permanent fence, which neither cattle nor sheep will attempt to cross. This saves a vast amount of fencing, the material for which comes very expensive, as carting on these bad roads for a considerable portion of the year is out of the question. 

The first work to be proceeded with is draining, and until this is accomplished it is useless attempting anything else. After the drains have been constructed, and previous to any other work being gone on with, it is better to wait and allow the ground to dry. The mistake made by those who first attempted to cope with the scrub was in trying to do too much — they wanted a return for their outlay at once but after experience has proved that it is better to wait and allow the ground to drain and become consolidated. It is found that as the land becomes more dry it shrinks away from the ti-tree roots, leaving them partly exposed; this in most cases is sufficient to kill the white variety.

The next proceeding is to get a fire through it. The dry ti-tree bums readily, and even where it is green if one side is cleared and straw laid along to give it a start a great deal can be destroyed on a hot day.The plan, however, followed at Mr.M'Gregor's in dealing with the green scrub is to lay it with a machine which has been invented by Mr.M'Donald, the overseer. This, like many great inventions, is exceedingly simple, the only difficulty being to find suitable material from which to manufacture it, and some trouble is experienced in this respect. A tree having somewhat the shape of the letter V is selected and sawn off a few feet below where the branches diverge; the limbs are then lopped to unequal lengths. To the longer a team of bullocks, from 16 to 20 in number, is attached. The shorter limb has a curve, which enables it to take a bite of the scrub, and the whole is of sufficient weight to crush down whatever is opposed to it. Sometimes the point of the shorter limb gets broken, and then a splice must be attached by strong bolts, as without the curve inward the work would not be so satisfactorily performed. About 5 acres a day can be laid, and then no trouble is experienced in getting a fire through it. 

The next proceeding is to uproot the stumps which remain, and for this a machine somewhat resembling a heavy sledge is used, with cross pieces shod with iron. This tears up the stumps and levels the ground at the same time. It is followed by an exceedingly strong and heavy rake drawn by two horses and worked by a man and boy. The rake was manufactured according to Mr. M'Gregor's directions by T. Robinson and Co., Melbourne, and is something after the style of an ordinary horse hay rake, but very much stronger and heavier, the teeth being raised by a powerful wooden lever. 

The roots and stumps are gathered into rows and burned, after which the rake is again run over and grass seed sown. With the present plant and the experience gained, Mr. M'Donald is of opinion that, apart from draining, the scrub can be cleared and a seed bed prepared for £2 per acre. It is not considered necessary to plough the land for the reception of grass seed, and the unploughed portion compares favorably with that from which a crop has been taken previous to the sowing down with grass. The reason of this is that the unploughed part is so consolidated by the working of the teams that the roots have a better hold and the soil retains more moisture than where it has been loosened by the plough. 

Clearing the Swamp, Dalmore. This was on E. Simpson Hill's farm and is much later that 1886, but it does give an idea of the efforts it would have taken to clear the scrub.

Image: Gunson, Neil The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire (Cheshire, 1968)

The present aim of those engaged in reclaiming the swamp is to drain it thoroughly, but when this is accomplished it will be interesting to note the result. The chances are that it will then be found necessary to irrigate, for although the natural rainfall is heavy the soil is of a nature calculated to absorb large quantities of water, and it is more than likely that on this and similar places the best results from irrigation will be achieved. If such a course is ever found necessary, all natural facilities are at hand for the thorough carrying out of an irrigation scheme. 

A mixture of several kinds of grass seed is sown; formerly more rye grass than any other sort was used, but in the later sowings this has been discontinued, as it is found the rye grass is apt to die out. The sorts now principally used are cockafoot and Alsyke or hybrid clover; the latter is highly spoken of on account of its coming more quickly than any other kind and its fattening qualities being excellent. Prominence will be given to this splendid clover in the preparation of all future pastures. 

Prairie grass also has been tried with success. The value of this fodder plant has not been so fully recognised as it deserves, the usual complaint being that it is eaten out by stock, which is about the highest praise that could be given to any grass. If prairie is sown with any other grasses stock will undoubtedly eat it out, for it is so sweet that while a root remains all other kinds will be neglected, but if sown by itself, and in small paddocks so that the stock can be changed, few if any other kinds of grass will be found so productive.

 It also makes splendid hay, giving two crops a year, and as only sowing is necessary, it must once, as far as profit is concerned, compare favorably with the cultivation of oats or wheat. At Mr. M'Gregor's about an acre has been sown and kept well eaten down with sheep. Under this treatment it seems to thrive and thicken. The seed from this patch will be saved and sown, next year. 

About 70 acres of oats were sown last year, which gave a return of 58 bushels per acre. This year the experiment of growing two crops will be tried. A paddock has been sown with oats, which are now about 1 foot in height when this is fit it will be cut, and another crop immediately put in. It is considered that the moisture in the soil coupled with the usually heavy rainfall will be sufficient to insure a good result from the second sowing. Root crops do splendidly here, potatoes, carrots and mangels giving heavy yields, but the difficulty of getting produce to the railway station is so great that only a limited quantity is grown. The productive qualities of the soil may be fairly estimated as equal to those of almost any other part of the colony. The splendid black mould extends for a depth of 12 or 15 feet, and judging by that thrown up out of the drains there is no diminution in quality, the soil keeping its character to the depth mentioned. 

All the stock are of a high class. The horses, with the exception of the riding and driving hacks, being pure Clydesdales. Noticeable amongst the brood mares is Maggie, by Roderick Dhu, dam Phyllis, imported. This mare, though rather low, is a perfect model of symmetry, and is now in foal to Lord Napier, a horse belonging to Mr. Watson, of Kyneton. Two yearling colts by the well-known horse Stanley are being kept as stallions; one of these, a bay, whose dam Bonnie Doon traces her pedigree back to Prince Charlie and Black Douglas, promises to develop into something good. The cattle are pure shorthorns of the Booth strain, they are descended from stock bred by Mr. B. M'Dougall of Arundel, the stud bulls used in the herd being invariably purchased from that gentleman. In-breeding has been Mr. M'Gregor's practice to a certain extent, and though the wisdom of this maybe questionable, the young stock here show no falling off in either size or quality. The bull now in use is a very fine animal; he is by the well-known prize taker Sir Roderick.

Mr. Peers is another of the energetic sort, and his estate, Moy Glass, is a model which might well be copied by all future settlers in Koo-wee-rup. When first taken up the estate was a perfect wilderness, the ti-tree being, as a rule, more than 20 feet in height, and had not Mr. Peers entertained the highest opinion of the capabilities of the soil, the difficulties in the way of clearing would have been sufficient to deter him from ever attempting to fit the land for the plough. If his example had been followed by all the present holders the swamp would bear a very different aspect to what it does now. 

The extent of purchased land is 1320 acres, which is subdivided into 12 paddocks. An area of 300 acres has been properly cleared, not a stump or root being left; this is subdivided into 40 acre paddocks. A main double drain surrounds the property similar to that of Mr. M'Gregor. This is estimated to have cost 1s. per cubic yard, whilst the numerous smaller drains have been excavated at prices varying from 4½d. to 7d. per yard, the latter price being given where the ti-tree was exceptionally heavy, and therefore a greater mass of roots had to be contended against. The plan of sub-dividing the estate into small paddocks is to be commended, as the fullest use can be made of them and the stock changed from one to the other as occasion requires. 

Cultivation has been tried, but more as an experiment to see what the land was really capable of than any thing else, as the difficulties in the way of getting produce to market are so great as to be a serious check to anything like extensive cultivation. As an indication of the fertility of the soil the yield of oats has been 60 bushels per acre, while a small patch of potatoes about 3 acres in extent gave a return of 9 tons per acre. On 33 acres which had been laid down under English grasses 534 store sheep were last spring kept for 10 weeks, and at the end of that time sold fat. Mr. Peers's plan of dealing with the scrub is somewhat different to that followed at Mr. M'Gregor's; constant burning is relied on to kill it. When nothing is left but the stumps, a heavy log, having five rows of inch iron spikes driven into it, is dragged along by bullocks, a chain being fastened to each end, by this means the stumps are knocked out or loosened so that they can be picked up and burned. The ground is then ploughed to the depth of about 8 inches, and allowed to lie fallow for a season, after which it is sown down with grass. The first ploughing is very difficult, a team of bullocks and a heavy plough being used to break the soil. The land itself is loose, but the trouble to contend against is the masses of roots and old stumps which are found at a depth of a few inches. 

The paddocks are securely fenced with sheep proof wire fences, these being preferred on account of being less liable to destruction by fire than post and rail. The posts have to be brought by boats from Queensferry. Mr. Peers estimates the cost of draining and clearing his land to be on an average £10 per acre. The stock at present at Moy Glass consists of 50 head of cattle, 16 horses, including 7 brood mares, 530 store sheep and a small stud flock of Romney Marsh sheep about 50 in number. When the Great Southern railway is completed it is Mr. Peers's intention to go in extensively for hay growing; this should be profitable, as a crop of about 4 tons per acre can be depended on.

(The Leader  May 15, 1886, see here.)

Part one of this report appeared in The Leader on May 8, 1886, it is transcribed here and you can read it on Trove, here. This is part two.