116 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Feb., 1916. 



GOLDEN WHEAT. 

 VICTORIA'S RECORD HARVEST. 



Worth over £12,000,000. 



The practical assurance that the Victorian farmers would reap the 

 benefit of the record harvest and an exhortation to them to prepare 

 to surpass next season the achievement of this formed the subject of a 

 statement from the Minister of Agriculture yesterday. Mr. Hagelthorn 

 said : — 



" The gathering of the 1915 harvest is now practically completed, 

 and it is fairly certain that the yield will considerably exceed 50,000,000 

 bushels and easily establish a new record. The acreage sown to wheat 

 (4,000,000 acres) represented an increase of over 35 per cent, over 

 the previous highest record, and the aggregate yield will probably 

 prove to be 50 per cent, greater. This result is due to the favorable 

 season, to the energy and enterprise shown by the farmers, and to the 

 financial assistance given by the State Government. The farmers have 

 responded magnificently to the appeal for an increased acreage made 

 twelve months ago. In view of the many difficulties confronting farmers 

 — the scarcity and high price of fodder, shortage of stock and lack 

 of funds owing to the failure of the crop through drought — the response 

 of the wheat-growers is extremely gratifying. 



" At one time it was thought that low prices must be taken for our 

 surplus wheat, in view of the scarcity of freight; but, owing to the 

 operation of the wheat scheme, satisfactory prices are being obtained, 

 not only for the surplus exported overseas, but also for the wheat used 

 for home consumption. Thanks to the assistance of the British Govern- 

 ment, the Wheat Commission hopes to market the great bulk of the 

 Australian crop before the end of the year. If the present prices of 

 wheat be maintained, Victoria's crop will be worth over £12,000,000, 

 and the exported surplus will bring in over £10,000,000. Such an 

 addition to our income will be very welcome, and, incidentally, it 

 indicates the importance of developing the agricultural resources of 

 the State. As much as 200,000 tons of flour will be exported from 

 Australia during the next two months to feed our allies, and no doubt 

 other orders will follow in due course. Every bag of wheat that can 

 be raised within the Emjiire means a bag less to be imported from 

 foreign countries, and the Allies are in need of all the surplus of 

 Australia, Canada, and India to satisfy their requirements. 



" The harvest of 1915 is now over, and preparations for the crop 

 of 1916 must now be made. I have no doubt that the wheat-growers 

 will spare no effort again to cultivate as large an acreage of crop as 

 possible, and to cultivate it well. The general rain experienced during 

 the last twenty-four hours will enable farmers to cultivate their fallows, 

 and lay the foundations for a good crop during the next season ; it 

 will also enable a large area of land to be worked up for the coming 

 year. It has been shown that every inch of rain that fell over the 

 wheat-growing areas during the growing period of the crop corre- 



