74 PRODUCTION 



lands, which it is anticipated will specialise in the production of 

 wheat, fruit, dairy produce and fat lambs. These areas should be 

 able to supply a considerable surplus above local needs for the home 

 market and for export. 



Capital expenditure is also required for a number of miscellaneous 

 purposes to further the development of agricultural industries 

 directed to the production of foodstuffs ; for roads, harbour con- 

 struction, port facilities; for clearing and fencing land; andforlabour- 

 saving machinery. 



It appears now that considerable areas of first-class cattle -raising 

 land exist in several parts of Northern Australia, notably in the 

 Kimberley District, and in the Highlands of the Northern Terri- 

 tory, 1 and that large areas in the interior of Western Australia, 

 formerly regarded as permanent desert, are suitable for sheep. 2 

 It appears also that there is no lack of fertility in Australian soils, 

 so that the present and future problems are connected more with 

 water supplies than with the preservation of soil fertility. 



After full allowance has been made for the general deficient 

 rainfall, the periodical droughts, the floods in the north, and the 

 vast extent of desert and semi-arid country, it yet remains true 

 that Australia has far from reached its full development in animal 

 industries. It is still in the main a new country, but one that has 

 special problems to face. To increase its exports of animal food- 

 stuffs materially, it still requires population and capital and 

 scientific adaptation to its special difficulties. Its fluctuating 

 exports of meat and dairy produce might be regularised to some 

 extent by means of fodder crops, and its low average milk yield 

 per cow 3 be increased in the same way. At the present time too 

 much reliance is placed upon the native grasses which, though they 

 are said to possess excellent milk-producing and fattening pro- 

 perties, 4 are naturally apt to run short or fail at times. 



Australia occupies an intermediate position among exporting 

 countries with regard to each of the three important classes of 

 animal foodstuffs in which it has specialised, namely, mutton and 

 lamb, beef, and butter. 5 In the first of these it is second after New 



1 For a detailed account and reference to authorities, see Chap. V., below 

 p. 106. 



2 J. W. Gregory : " Geographical Factors that control the Development 

 of Australia." Journal Royal Geog. Society, June, 1910, p. 664. 



3 The average yield of Australian cows in 1911 was estimated at 2 80 gallons 

 as compared with about 630 gallons for Danish cows. 



"There is evidently great room for improvement in thr average herd" 

 (of dairy cows). British Association for the Advancement of Science. Hand- 

 book for Australia, 1914, p. 397. 



4 U.S. Daily Commerce Report, Dec. 1st, 1910. 



6 The average exports of these products from Australia for the years 1908-12 



were as follows : 



Beef (refrigerated) 94' 5 million Ibs 



Mutton and lamb (refrigerated) 128'7 ,, 



Butter 72-7 



The exports of other animal foodstuffs, as also of feedstuffs, are unimportant. 



