33 AUSTRALIAN CATTLE STATIONS. 



ordinary circumstances). Finally, it is said that " The- 

 Hereford breed of cattle has done best" (as stock 

 improvers) "in Australia Devons next, then Short- 

 horns" * and by the last returns, it would appear that 

 the flocks of Australia now number nearly 12 millions 

 of cattle, close upon 100 millions of sheep, and con- 

 siderably above i|- millions of horses, f 



The great cattle-farming state is Queensland; about 

 half of its area is stated to be " natural forest," most 

 of which is bush country. The remainder is plains 

 country, and " a large proportion of the colony is 

 leased in squatting runs for pastoral purposes, amounting 

 to nearly 270 millions of acres in 1894, when the 

 number of runs was 5577, and the stock of cattle over 

 7 millions, and of horses nearly 450,000." 



We ought to state however, that several experienced 

 Australians with whom we have had the pleasure of 

 conferring strongly maintain that at present there 

 is more money to be made by sheep than by cattle. 

 These gentlemen were however themselves mostly 

 sheep-owners, and so may have had a certain amount 

 of predilection for these beautiful little creatures, " whose 

 feet" according to the saying of farmers, "are shod 

 with silver" for, wherever the sheep sets its foot,, 

 it does good. It is of course the wool which proves 

 so valuable as a money-making product, when prices 

 are good and perhaps we shall be pardoned for add- 

 ing some brief details, of a technical nature, as to what 

 may be done with a pound of wool. 



" It is estimated that one pound of wool will yield in fine 



* See Silver's Graziers' Guide for Cattle in Australia, p. I/, etc. 

 j- Statesman's Year Book for 1896 ; edited by J. Scott Keltic^ 

 (Extracts from returns, totals added together). 

 Ibid., p. 273. 



