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   THE subdivision or paddocking of land is seventh on the Keyline scale of the relative permanence of things agricultural. All the factors already considered relate to this seventh factor of the Keyline scale. Climate and land shapes, with their dominating influence, water supply and the uses of water on the farm, farm roads and their relationship to the boundaries of natural shapes of land areas, trees and their great value to agricultural land when located to suit the shapes and form of land, the homestead and permanent farm buildings; all these factors in aggregate have already clearly indicated the pattern of subdivision.

   The main subdivisions on a farming property are usually closely associated with the roads. The roads in most instances take precedence over the fence line, the fences being made to follow the pattern of the farm roads.

   The first main subdivision fences should enclose the large land forms, i.e., the large watershed areas that can be treated and developed as the larger complete land units. Fences may follow work roads along one or other side of the break of the land on a creek and again where there are big changes in land form due to a changing geological structure. The geological changes are usually along the centre of the hills or just to one side of the main ridges.

   For subdivision purposes land can be classed in two main divisions: (1) All land that may be travelled by the farm tractor, or, in other words, land that can be developed mechanically by farm equipment. (2) Land that is too steep or too rocky for any farm equipment. A fence line can divide these two types of country in any large natural land division.

   On any land form where the conservation of water in farm irrigation dams can play an important part in the general scheme of things, irrigation paddocks, large or small, may be fenced off as island paddocks which take their shape and form only from the line of the irrigation drain and the land strip below it which is to be irrigated. These areas have previously been decided upon against the background of climate, land shape and water supply, with some consideration given to the location of the trees and buildings.

   With the land fenced off into its natural larger divisions, with island paddocks within these boundaries as irrigation areas, subdivision for smaller paddocks would quite logically be enclosed by fences running from the irrigation area straight up hill to the high boundary or straight down hill to the lower fence.

   It has been pointed out that the better the development and improvement of a property the greater will be the number of stock watering points necessary, and, following the location of the paddocks mentioned earlier, the paddocking of any other particular area could largely depend on the most suitable dam for the provision of water to stock watering points. From the outlet valve beneath the wall of all farm dams, pipelines from I inch to 2 inches diameter may suitably supply stock troughs in a series of paddocks generally stretching across the slope of the land.

   All subdivision paddocks should be located with the continuous possibility in mind of their further subdivision. The higher the fertility and productiveness of a property, the greater the number of paddocks that will be required to take the greatest advantage from increasing productiveness.