Agriculture in Atistralia 



169 



increase, 20,028 bushels. Beans, millet, and 

 sorghum, 173,217 bushels; increase, 99,768 

 bushels. The only decrease under the head 

 of grain crops is in the item *' rye and bere," 

 the production of which has fallen from 

 14,856 bushels in 1871, to 8496 bushels in 

 1872. The total produce of grain had in- 

 creased from 5,456,577 bushels to 8,348,736 

 bushels, a difference of 2,892,159 bushels. 

 In green crops, exclusive of those in market 

 and kitchen gardens, there had been an 

 increase of 8985 tons ; the totals for the two 

 years being 150,108 and 159,093 respectively. 

 The production of hay had diminished from 

 183,708 tons in i87i,to 144,637 tons in 1872. 

 In tobacco the increase had been very 



marked, the return for 187 1 giving only 467 

 cwt, while the production in 1872 reached 

 2307 cwt. The yield of grapes had increased 

 by 12,749 cwt, and the production of wine 

 by 84,370 gal., the returns shewing 713,589 

 gal., as against 629,219 gal. Of brandy, 

 1579 gal. had been manufactured, as against 

 only 73 gal. during the former period. With 

 reference to the vintage, the acreage, num- 

 ber of vines, &c., are for the year ending 

 March 31, 1872 ; the quantity of grapes 

 gathered and of wine and brandy made are 

 for the previous season. The grape crop 

 comes in too late to admit of its being re- 

 turned when the agricultural statistics are col- 

 lected. 



AGRICULTURAL LEASES AND LAND TENURE. 



By Mr Ford.* 



THE subject under discussion is one of 

 great importance, and I believe it 

 will require no pains on my part to substan- 

 tiate this fact ; for, with what we have lately 

 learned concerning the growing population 

 of this country, its increasing wealth, its 

 thriving trade and commercial prosperity, 

 and the continually enlarged demand for 

 the necessaries and even the comforts of life 

 proceeding from our industrial classes, the 

 paramount necessity of a higher system of 

 agriculture, and a larger outlay of capital to 

 assist in the cost of an increased production, 

 •cannot fail to impress itself upon us ; and 

 what is of infinite consequence, when view- 

 ing the subject in this respect, is a better 

 defined understanding between the pro- 

 prietor and occupier of the soil. 



CAUSES OF THE INCREASED DEMAND FOR 

 NECESSITIES. 



Before I proceed to dwell upon what, as I 

 •conceive, should be the relations between 



* Paper read before the Boroughbridge Agricultural 

 Society. 



landlord and tenant, permit me to glance for 

 a moment at the causes which have tended 

 to bring about this enlarged demand, and 

 which have in so great a degree produced such 

 changes as we now see in our social economy. 

 First, the increasing wealth of the country will 

 be found to have exerted the greatest influ- 

 ence. The enormous export trade and home 

 consumption in almost every branch of in- 

 dustry has caused such an extraordinary 

 demand for labour that the requirements of 

 manufacturers can scarcely be satisfied. The 

 price of labour, as a necessary consequence, 

 has largely increased ; while the working 

 classes of the country have protected their 

 interests by such combinations as trades 

 unions. The effect of these unions has 

 been largely to increase the cost of produc- 

 tion ; for while artizans in all branches of 

 trade have by their protective influence been 

 enabled to hold out and bide their time, em- 

 ployers of labour have been compelled to 

 make very large concessions. Wages have 

 therefore continued to rise — the standard 

 of living among the working population 



