114 NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Poultry-breeding is largely carried on, both for home consumption 

 and export. Eg-gs and birds have been sent to England from the 

 Agricultural College with great success. A large trade will result if 

 care be taken that all birds are of the finest quality, large, young, and 

 regular in size and condition. Indian game are now largely used for 

 crossing with Dorkings and Houdans. Plymouth Rocks and Brahmas 

 are also greatly fancied. 



Bee-farming is successfully carried on ; the annual yield of honey 

 being sometimes extraordinarily large, though largely dependent 

 upon the season. 



Future of Agriculture in New South Wales. 



Our agriculture must become of greater and greater importance 

 to us, and probably to Great Britain also, as years go on. Southern 

 position enables us to market products when northern countries 

 are lacking, whilst we can produce the very best class of products. 

 As to future success, much depends on farmers keeping abreast with 

 the times with regard to crops, methods of growing, use of labour- 

 saving appliances, harvesting, and packing for the market. Small 

 farmers are at some disadvantage compared with large owners, but 

 many minor industries can be carried on concurrently, " Many a mickle 

 makes a muckle.''^ A good living can be made off the land and a fine 

 free healthy life enjoyed. In this country land can be obtained on 

 very reasonable terms, fainning operations can be carried on almost 

 continuously, hay is ready to stack the third or fourth day after cutting, 

 manures, in many cases, need not be largely used, winter and summer 

 crops can largely be grown, whilst the mild and varied climate gives 

 extraordinary variety of crops. Of drawbacks there are many, most 

 of them surmountable. Notwithstanding difficulties, found wherever 

 the soil is tilled, there has been an all-round advance in farming the 

 last few years. Matters are fairly prosperous, and prices, which show 

 great range of variation during the year, have now an upward tendency. 

 An export trade in produce is being developed, and cool storage pro- 

 vided ; water is being conserved, and will be much more largely so as 

 time goes on ; scientific knowledge relating to farming is rapidly 

 spreading. It is recognised that cultural methods must be improved, 

 cultivation made more intensive, and only the best class of products 

 raised ; whilst under a good system of rotation and careful husbanding 

 of resources the soil will improve greatly, resulting in better returns. 

 Pests must be battled with : America and France have shown that 

 it pays well to carry on a systematic and persistent war of extermina- 

 tion. Not the least important point, a careful system of bookkeeping 

 needs to be followed, " double entry " being the most suitable. 



When we remember, in the light of the foregoing statements, that 

 Great Britain alone imports in one year food-stuffs to the value of over 

 ninety millions sterling; that our own requirements are yearly increas- 

 ing, whilst we import food-stuffs to the extent of over one and a-half 

 millions; we may safely conclude that there is ample room for expan- 

 sion of the farming industry, with no need to fear for its future success. 



