116 AUSTRALIA AND THE AUSTRALIANS. 



it is that an average yield of six or seven bushels per 

 acre pays expenses and yields a profit besides. 



The extensive fields of wheat as seen in Australia 

 in October and November, reaching over the wide 

 plains or undulating uplands, constitute one of the 

 interesting sights of the country. 



The grain ripens the latter part of November and 

 early part of December, and the rapidity with which 

 it ripens in that dry climate taxes the fullest capacity 

 of the farmer and his family while the harvest opera- 

 tions last. 



In 1873 Australasia produced 18^ millions of bushels 

 of wheat, and in 1885 the yield had risen to 32| 

 millions. The yield of potatoes in the latter year 

 amounted to 410,000 tons, and of hay, 1,064,000 tons. 

 Hay and chaff in Australia are two things entirely 

 different from what is meant by these words with us. 

 Hay is not cured English or native grass. It is wheat 

 or oats, and sometimes other grains, but principally 

 these, harvested just before ripe, when the grain is 

 about full grown, but while the husk is still firm 

 enough to retain its hold upon the grain. It is 

 usually bound into sheaves and left in the field till 

 thoroughly dried, then stacked and later on is chopped 

 fine with , " cutting box " and put into bags ; this 

 fine-cut, unthreshed grain is called "chaff." Almost 



