514 



PRESIDENT S ADDRESS — SECTION G2. 



season reducing the average in each of the States, except Tasmania, 

 and to greatest extent in New South Wales and Victoria in 1904-5. 

 From 1904-5 the area under wheat has gradually gone back 

 until there were 1,007,304 acres less in the season 1908-9 than in 

 that of 1904-5, but it would appear that during last season the 

 area rose again to within a very little of the record year. 



Consider now for a moment the average yields during these 

 50 years. During the first 15 years we have a period of very high 

 averages, followed by 22 years during which these are very much 

 lower. The figures then improve considerably right up to date, 

 but even now they are no better than they were 40-50 years ago. 

 Doubtless bad seasons brought about this fall in the average to^ 

 some considerable extent, but it is also quite certain that the large 

 areas brought under crop affected the yield. 



We mentioned above that between the years 1860 and 1880- 

 the increase in area under crop was very large, larger than it has 

 been during the last 20 years, and the average yields during that 

 period were quite as good, if not better, than they have been 

 within the last eight years. From that it is reasonable to infer 

 that the development, so far as our wheat production is confirmed 

 at least, has been more in the direction of extending our areas 

 under crop than in any very marked increase in yield resulting 

 from improved methods of agriculture. 



The last column of this table is interesting as showing the 

 relation our wheat yield is bearing to our population. 



The other statistics call for no further comment than that they 

 show from time to time the effects of bad seasons. Still, the record 



