THE QUACK AND THE LAND. 35 



the first place. It was the staple industry of 

 the country ; the proved steady gold- spinner. 

 At the time it was suffering a little embarrass- 

 ment from the tremendous increase in the price 

 of labour caused by the gold rushes. But 

 there could be no doubt — there was no doubt 

 — that for the term of some generations the 

 prosperity of Australia would be linked up with 

 the prosperity of the Australian pastoralist. 



There was a second interest to be considered 

 by the framers of a land policy for Australia — 

 that of the agriculturists. The early wails of the 

 first settlers as to the impossibility of growing 

 grain and fruit had been already disproved. 

 The early settlers farmed in the English manner, 

 and expected rain at least once a week. In 

 many cases they encountered disaster, as was 

 but natural. To the later agriculturist, who 

 had learned how to use the country, there was 

 nothing in the average of Australian conditions 

 to alarm. In an occasional dry year he found 

 that he would get poor crops. In an occasional 

 very good year he would get extraordinary crops. 

 In the usual fair year he would get better crops 

 with less trouble than in almost any other part 



