TEMPERATE SURPLUS-PRODUCING REGIONS 69 



farming to any serious extent till about the close of the 19th 

 century. 1 More intensive methods 2 have been developed especially 

 in the coastal belts of higher rainfall, these being more suitable in the 

 first instance, and also nearer the large towns, which are the centres 

 both of local consumption and of export trade. In point of fact, 

 this land has been rather neglected by the pastoralist, because not 

 well adapted to wool-sheep. 3 



It is now generally recognised that land with more than 16 inches 

 rainfall is suited for closer settlement 4 and that the zone with 12-16 

 inches rainfall may become so suitable with proper development 

 in the future ; but it is left to the grazier for the present, as also 

 is much of that having 16-20 inches rainfall. Between the lines 

 of 10 and 20 inches rainfall there lies an enormous tract of nearly 

 1 million square miles 5 in tropical and temperate Australia, which 

 therefore has been, and still largely is, the grazing ground of the 

 80 to 100 odd million sheep of the country. It is noteworthy, 

 however, that during the last twenty years there has been a general 

 retreat of wool sheep all along the line from the 20 inch isohyet, 

 and that the large squatter is gradually withdrawing behind the 

 12-inch isohyet. 



In considering the progress of Australian stock-raising industries, 

 allowance must be made for the periodical droughts (such, for 

 example, as those in 1899-1902 and in 1912-1916) that cause great 

 downward fluctuations. 6 It is natural that sheep should be more 

 affected than cattle in view of their distribution with reference to 

 rainfall areas, and that wool-producing sheep should be affected 

 more than mutton sheep for a similar reason. If a drought is 

 general, mutton production will show a decline before wool pro- 

 duction does, 7 especially if the drought commences in the spring, 



1 " The close of the 19th century may be taken to mark a decided change 

 in the character of Australian industries. Broadly speaking, the Common- 

 wealth was then terminating what may be described as its pastoral era." 

 Oxford Survey of the British Empire, Vol. V., p. 147. 



2 In the forms of dairying, crop-production, and the rearing of mutton 

 sheep. 



3 Oxford Survey, above quoted, Vol. V, pp. 182, 183. 



4 Ibid, pp. 181, 182. 



5 The Commonwealth Year Book, Vol. VII., p. 64. gives 958,000 sq. miles, 

 approximatel y . 



6 The following table for selected years shows the " drought depressions " 

 in sheep and cattle for the Commonwealth : 



SHEEP CATTLE SHEEP CATTLE 



million. million. million. million. 



1900 70-6 8-6 1914 78-6 11-0 



1902 54 7 1916 69-2 9-7 



1904 66 7-8 1917 74-2 10-05 



1911 93 11-8 



1912 83-2 11-6 



It will be seen that minima were reached in the years 1902 and 1916. 



7 Exports of mutton are much more immediate than those of wool which 

 is sheared in the last quarter of the year and gradually exported during the 

 twelve months following. 



