134 SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



above the mark in New-Holland, it must be a great deal below it in Upper 

 Canada," Professor McCulloch continues : 



"If the Americans exacted the same price for their public lands that we do, something 

 mi^lit be found in favor of extending the principle to Canada. They, however, do nothing 



of the sort, but sell mucli better land at a decidedly lower rate If slaves could be 



imported hito a Colony of this sort, there might be some chance of its succeeding. But while 

 laud of the very best quality may be had in the Valley of the Mississippi for about a dollar an 

 acre or less, we think better of the common sense of our countrymen than to suppose that 

 any one able to carry himself across the Adantic will resort to Austi'alia." 



Of the climate he says : 



" The climate of such parts of New South Wales as have been explored by the English is 



particularly mild and salubrious On the other hand, however, it has the serious 



defect of being too dry. It seems to be subject to the periodical recurrence of severe 

 drouths. These prevail sometimes for 2, 3, or even 4 years together. The last ' great 

 drouth' began in 1826, and did not terminate until 1829. Very little rain fell during the 

 whole of this lengthened period, and for more than six months there was not a single shower. 

 In consequence, the whole surface of the ground was so parched and withered that all minor 

 vegetation ceased ; and even culinary vegetables wei-e raised with much difficulty. Ther» 

 was also a pretty severe drouth in 183;"). This is the gi-eat drawback of the Colony ; and were 

 it more populous the drouths would expose it to still more serious difficulties." 



Another drouth occurred in 1841, and Mr. Hood thus describes its ef- 

 fects on the sheep : * 



" It will be scarcely believed in England that the estimated number of sheep which have 

 died within the last twelve months in the Colony from catairh and drouth is 70,000 ! ! that 

 colonists are compelled in order to save the dam from starvation, to cut the throat of her 

 lamb ; that no means are adopted for securing a stock of lambs for next year ; or that a 

 stockholder would offer 8,000 sheep to any one that would remove them from his runs, and 

 finding that no one could be prevailed upon to taint his own flocks by accepting so danger- 

 ous a present, had recourse to consuming them by fire, and had actually killed and burnt 

 2,000." .... 



Of the country Mr. Hood remarks : 



" The first object on the arrival of eveiy settler should be to iwocure a good country for 

 his flocks, and this, I have elsewhere said, is his grand difficulty. Let him be wary on this 



Soint. Almost eveiy desirable or habitable spot in the old countries, as the early settled 

 istricts are called, is already occupied." 



Some diseases seem to be peculiar to the country, or, rather, peculiarly 

 inveterate in it. Mr. Youatt says : t 



" The sheep frequently suffer from the wild and poachy nature of a considerable portion 



of the pasture. The foot-rot seems to assume a character of its own If neglected, it 



speedily becomes inveterate and preys upon and destroys the animal. The losses occasioned 

 by it in the early existence of the Colony were fiightful." 



The astringency of the water and other causes have produced severe 

 epidemics. In some years, some of the flockmasters have lost half of their 

 sheep.l The scab is a prevailing disease, and Doct. Lang says :|1 



" When a convict shepherd has a pique against his master, or even agamst his overseer, it 

 is often m his power to subject the whole of his master's flock to this obnoxious disease, 

 merely by driving his own flock a few miles from their usual pasture, and bringing them 

 into contact with a diseased flock. The chief source of the wealth and prosperity of the 

 Colony is thus, in a great measure, at the mercy of the most worthless of men." 



The cost of both land and labor is comparatively {id est, compared with 

 the unoccupied lands of the United Stiites) high. The Government mini- 

 mum is 5s. (SI 15) per acre, but very little if any good land is sold at that 

 price. Mr. Hood states that the portion of Capt. Mc Arthur's immense 

 estate which was obtained by purchase, cost, on the average, 7s. 6d. 

 ($1 721) per acre. Shepherds receive from d£15 to £20 {S69 to $92) with 



* Quoted by Spooner in " History, Discaacs, &c., of the Sheep." London, 1844, p. 67. 

 t Youatt on Shoop, p. 189. J See Spooner, pp. 417-421. 



il Lang— Historical and Statistical Account, vol. i., p. 351. 

 (278) 



