AUSTRALIAN PROSPECTS 47 



the North, irrigation schemes have been started. 

 To the North the tropical climate in some portions 

 or the low rainfall in others, are both bars to any 

 considerable extension. Developments there will 

 be in both directions. They are not likely to 

 materially affect the total production in the 

 immediate future, or at any time to be consider- 

 able. Perhaps the most important exception 

 will be a gradual increase of stock in the distant 

 foot hills of the Andes towards the south-west, 

 and also in selected portions of the Southern 

 Pampa. As already pointed out, there is much 

 to be done in supplying home demands. Wheat 

 consumption now amounts to 1,000,000 tons per 

 annum. With the closer settling of the country, 

 the demand for cereal food-stuffs is likely to 

 increase, resulting perhaps in a diminution of 

 the present extravagant consumption of meat, 

 a legacy of the times when the hide was worth as 

 much as the carcase. 



AUSTRALASIA 



Australasia is the next source of supply to 

 be examined. Owing to her position midway 

 between America and Africa, and near India and 

 the East, the export of meat and butter to some 

 of these destinations is now an appreciable 

 amount of her total output. At times, owing 



