WHEATGROWING IN AUSTRALIA. 31 



as the wheat does not strip well until the hot sun gets on it, as it 

 toughens during the night. The work goes on until 7 or 7.30 p..m. r 

 with a break of two hours at mid-day, and spells of twenty minutes 

 in the morning and afternoon. Where labour is employed one man 

 drives the harvester, but his horses are looked after, fed, groomed, 

 and harnessed for him. This saves time, and enables the crop to 

 be taken off the more quickly. Of course, the farmer in a small 

 way will do his own work, requiring only a little assistance at 

 harvest time, someone to sew up and stack the bags. As there is 

 always a rush at harvest time, the bags of grain are often left lying 

 in the paddocks in small heaps until the crop is all off, when they 

 are carted to the railway or mill. Some farmers do their own 

 carting, but the majority pay the regular carriers to do this work, 

 the cost varying according to distance, but is generally done for 

 24 cents per ton per mile. About 12^ bags of wheat go to the ton. 



CARTING WHEAT TO RAILWAY STATION. 



At present in Australia wheat is all handled in bags which 

 contain about 3 bushels of grain. The price of empty bags varies 

 from $1.50 to $2.00 per doz. Very few second-hand bags are used. 

 The different State Governments in Australia are now considering 

 the wisdom of introducing the American system of handling wheat 

 in bulk. The Governments of New South Wales and of Western 

 Australia have definitely announced their intention of establishing 

 that system, while it is being favourably considered in Victoria. 

 Once the system was introduced in any of the States it would pro- 

 bably be only a short time before it was adopted throughout the 



