56 



AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTUBE. 



one half of the American average per man, and France is 

 far behind Britain, while Gennany, Italy, Scandinavia, 

 Spain, Russia, Egypt, Bulgaria, and Turkey, drop lower 

 and lower in the products won per man from the earth. 

 Turkey and Egypt come almost as low as India. All these 

 nations compete in the great markets of the world, and 

 America and Australia come out on top for the amount of 

 products per man engaged, and the wages paid for agricul- 

 tural labour. That is, in grain and wool production. But, 

 in dairying, Denmark and Sweden have made rapid steps to 

 the front of late years, and our best efforts are called out in 

 this other special branch of agriculture. 



VL CULTIVATION OF CROPS. 



The Objects in View. Whatever branch of agricul- 

 ture we follow, the soil has to be so treated that it may 



yield the best results 

 from the crops sown 

 or planted. These 

 results are got by 

 maintaining the food 

 materials necessary 

 for building the crop 

 in view ; by keeping 

 the soil loose and 

 clean, in the mechani- 

 cal sense, so that air 

 and rain may do their 

 work in the chemical sense. That means cultivation. 

 ^ The Means Employed. Tools and implements 

 suitable for the work to be done are necessary. Suitable 

 and effective tools, of good quality, give us the most 

 efficient and the cheapest kind of labour. Xo one can do 

 the best without effective tools, and the very best are 

 available for Australian agriculturists. 



Hand Tools, Horse Implements. Hand tools are 

 necessary in all branches ; spades, forks, hoes, mattocks, 

 rakes, shovels, barrows, &c. But horse labour is so easily 



Fruits of Cultivation. 



