226 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [25 Apkil, 1917. 



means an increased sum of money to the individual and a greater 

 capacity for the State to meet its much increased obligations. This is 

 not empty conjecture, but actual fact; prices for these commodities 

 have been guaranteed, and the producer is in a position hitherto 

 unknown, in that he knows that, given a normal season, he can rely on 

 a certain profit. Never before has it been so necessary that primary 

 production be pushed on, and never before has the profit been deter- 

 minable beforehand. The heavy costs entailed by the war in the shape 

 of the national debt, the interest bill on which must be paid from our 

 exports, render it imperative that everything possible must be done 

 towards increasing production. 



Present Position of Area. 



In years 1915-16 the area under wheat totalled 4,013,420 acres; in 

 the vears 1916-17 the estimated area fell to 3,3:^8.000 acre«, and unless 



Sowing the Wheat Crop. 



special energy is devoted to increasing the area, a further decline is 

 possible. 



There is room for great expansion in the Mallee, the Western dis- 

 trict, also in smaller ratio iu the Wimmera, the Northern, North- 

 Eastern, and central portions of the State. Gippsland also might 

 considerably atigment supplies; fine yields of wheat have of recent years 

 been grown iu the Tangil, Buln Buln. and Dargo counties, and these 

 areas could easily be greatly extended. 



At the present time only one-half (.5 per cent.) of the wheat pro- 

 duced in Victoria is grown in Gippsland, only four and three-qtiarters 

 (4.75 per cent.) in the Western and two and one-third (2.33 per cent.) 

 in the North-Eastern portions of the State. In the North-Ceneral but 

 one (1.0 per cent.) is grown, and in the Central a little over three- 

 quarters (.75 per cent.). 



It is obviotis then that the areas under wheat in these districts can 

 be increased very considerably, provided the inclination is backed tip 

 with the requisite energy. 



