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



so in tlie ISTortli-East. The greatest deficiencies occurred in tlie 

 Northern Mallee and the Southern Wimmera. For TNTovember the 

 greater portion of Victoria experienced rainfalls, in many instances 

 much below the normal, the deficiencies being greatest in the i^orthern 

 area; but in the West Coast, and also in parts of Gippsland, many- 

 stations had abundant rains, and taken as a whole these two districts 

 approximated closely to the normal. December was an exceedingly dry 

 month throughout, at some stations no rain whatever being recorded, 

 more particularly so in the newer Mallee. In the Wimmera and Mallee 

 good crop yields were being obtained, and reports were generally of a 

 cheerful character, some crops averaging as high a standard as 42 bushels 

 to the acre. In the North, good to fair crops were being gathered, but 

 in some instances the yields did not come up to anticipations, frosts 

 being the principal cause, and severe thunderstorms also mitigated 

 against the hoped-for results. A more prosperous season was experi- 

 enced in the Central North ; grass abundant, and stock in splendid 

 condition. Reports from the JSTorth-East were hardly so cheerful, as the 

 inadequate November rains tended to lessen the yield. In the Western 

 District crops exceeded anticipations, and in many places hay crops of 

 over 4 tons to the acre were met with. The same applies to the South 

 Central, although rain is now badly required there. In Gippsland grass 

 was dry, but still abundant, and the stock in good condition, though the 

 nnlk supply was lessening owing to the scarcity of the December rains. 

 Most rivers and creeks were low throughout the whole of the State. 



