()8 Journal of the Department op Agriculture. 



munitions ; the consequent falling off in manufactures (for which also 

 the country of origin had first lien), together with the scarcity and high 

 rate of freight, created a serious shortage in the Union. Yet, on the 

 other hand, agricultural development continued to extend in this 

 country, and, in the instance of its 2500 crop correspondents, who 

 report on the average and condition of the main crops, seldom was 

 lack of machinery and implements put forward as a cause of reduced 

 acreage. Apparently good stocks of machinery and implements were 

 in the country at the outbreak of war, while their rising cost and 

 growing scarcity induced the farmer to take greater care of his goods, 

 and their life was thus considerably prolonged. The half-used and 

 partially discarded article was requisitioned, renovated, and put into 

 use again. Local firms were able to cope to a large extent with the 

 work of renovation and to manufacture locally numbers of plough- 

 shares and implements. Althoug'h prices increased very considerably, 

 the farmer, with greater care of his goods and with the incentive of 

 rising prices for his produce, was able to pay increased prices for his 

 machinery and, generally, realizing his opportunity, spared no effort 

 to make the most of his time and cultivated to the utmost. Thus it 

 is that, notwithstanding a diminishing overseas supply of agricultural 

 machinery and implements, the development of the Union continued. 

 It follows, however, that pre-war stocks will become exhausted 

 and renovated machinery will wear out, and unless oversea supplies 

 come in more freely the Union's agriculture will eventually suffer 

 very materially. It is not apparent that this position has yet been 

 readied; on the other hand all restriction on importations have been 

 removed and goods are coming into the country, but generally the 

 position was still abnormal at the end of 1919 and the Union's require- 

 ments continued to exceed supplies. 



Fencing Material. 



Among the benefits of fencing are labour saving (in that it 

 obviates the employment of herders, etc.), the protection of crops and 

 stock, and the minimizing of disease dissemination. The Census of 

 1918 shows there were 76,149 farms in the Union (exclusive of native 

 locations, reserves, etc.), 88,498 of which were wholly fenced and 

 29,667 partially. The Union is dependent on overseas supplies of 

 fencing material, and a lack thereof would react on agricultural 

 development. As a result of the war supplies fell to a very low ebb, 

 and at one time were practically unobtainable, while prices were pro- 

 hibitive, rising to three or four times as much as was formerly paid, 

 and very little fencing was carried out as a consequence. The posi- 

 tion at the close of 1919 was a little easier, however, material coming 

 in more readily with a slight decline in prices. Things had not, of 

 course, reverted to pre-war conditions both in regard to supplies and 

 prices, and fencing was not being extended to the same extent as 

 would otherwise have been the case. 



Dips. 



Dipping of live stock is essential in this country, materials for 

 the purpose being largely imported from overseas. Arsenite of soda 

 is the principal material used in cattle dipping, and on the outbreak 

 of war supplies fell oft' so considerably tliat the Government had to 



