Vol. XIX. Part 5. MAY 2, 1908. 



Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales. 



Wheat-growing in New South Wales. 



a. L. SUTTON, 

 Cowra Experiment Fann. 



The Progress of Wheat=growing. 



The wheat industry in New Soutli Wales at tlie present time is rapidly 

 increasing in imj^ortance. Its condition resembles tliat of a healthy 

 vigorous child who has emerged from the dangers of childhood and is 

 developing into prosperous manhood. At first its progress was slow and 

 irregular, but from 18G1, when 123,408 acres were planted, tlie acreage 

 under wheat steadily grew during the next thirty years, until •'356,666 acres 

 were planted in 1891. During the next decade progress was more rapid, 

 for in 1901 the area under wheat for grain was 1,392,070 acres. In 190G 

 we reached the maximum area, 1,939,447 acres; but in 1907, owing to xxn- 

 favouralile conditions at ploughing time, the area was only 1.390,171 acres, 

 but with good prospects and a favourable season we shall soon reach 

 2,000,000 acres. But even this is less than one-tenth of the area suitable for 

 the growth of this crop within tlie Ijelt liaving an average annual rainfall 

 of over 20 inches, which is now knoAvn to l)e the " safe " area for wheat- 

 growing. The expansion which is possible in the near future is obvious. 



The slow progress which wheat-growing at first made in New South 

 Wales was due largely to the use of varieties unsuitable for the warmer 

 and drier districts. The wheats hrst u^ed were those which the early 

 settlers brought with them from the Old Country, and when the differences 

 between the climate of England and that of New South Wales are con- 

 sidered, it is not surprising tliat these varieties were found unsuitable, 

 or only adapted to the cold districts or the moist climates of the coastal 

 areas. By degrees, new and more suitable varieties were obtained, and 

 as these were secured wheat-growing spread into districts whicli l)efore 

 had been considered totally unhtted for that industry, and tlie rapid 

 expansion of this highly profitaljle Ijranch of agriculture during recent 

 years came about. This expansion has been materially assisted by the 

 adoption of new methods of cultivation and harvesting suitable for con- 

 ditions in Australia, where land is cheap and where large areas are avail- 

 able, and also by the introduction of labour-saving machinery where 

 labour is scarce and high priced. 



That wheat-growing is highly profitable is shown by the comfortable 

 homesteads and thriving financial position of innumerable families in 

 those districts where wheat is king. A very gratifying feature of this 

 prosperity is, that many of these wheat-growers are men who started 

 with little or no capital in hard cash, and in many cases with but little 

 practical knowledge, but have succeeded because of their ability and 

 willingness to work. That sucli is the case is not altogether surprising 



