Agricultural and Horticultural Resources. 41 



DIVISION III. — SOUTH OF THE DIVIDING RANGE, AND EAST 

 OF PORT PHILLIP. 



The county of Mornington, lying immediately to the "west 

 of Port Phillip, is the only part of this large district in which 

 agriculture has been carried on to any extent. In it we learn 

 that wheat, oats, and potatoes, form, according to information 

 kindly furnished by the Mornington branch of the Port Phillip 

 Farmers' Society, the principal articles of cultivation. The 

 average yield of wheat has been 22 to 23 bushels, that of oats 

 31 to 32 bushels, and that of potatoes 5 tons, per acre. The 

 cultivation of mangold wurzel, onions, tares, peas, beans, and 

 all the varieties of clover, has been tried with very great suc- 

 cess.. Sainfoin, kohl rabi, and carrots, likewise succeed well. 

 Sorghum does not yield so good a harvest in the Mornington 

 district as more inland ; but the cooler climate of this part of 

 the country renders English fruits generally prolific ; apples 

 especially so. In favorable localities two crops are obtained, 

 either of potatoes, or of green fodder succeeded by potatoes, or 

 of peas, or of the latter and potatoes. 



The difficulties encountered by cultivators in this district are 

 heavy rains during the winter months. Damage to the ripen- 

 ing grain is occasionally done by caterpillars, and to turnip 

 and cabbage fields by the ravages of the aphis. Drainage 

 and irrigation, for which there are great facilities, would con- 

 tribute largely to the agricultural prosperity of the district. 

 It may be worthy of note to state, in connection with this 

 question, that in the Mornington District an area of more than 

 100,000 acres could be, by a judicious outlay, reclaimed and 

 rendered highly productive. This area is at present covered 

 with stagnant water, but as there is a sufficient fall of the 

 country towards the coast, a very moderate expenditure of 

 money would provide for laying it dry, and at the same time 

 would afford great facility for irrigation. It has be?n estimated 

 that these measures could be effected at a cost of about 10s. 

 per acre ; and the subject has attracted considerable attention 

 from many experienced residents, well qualified to form a 

 correct opinion of the feasibilities of the project. 



Turning, finally, to the agricultural capabilities of the south- 

 eastern part of the colony, comprising the district of Gipps 

 Land, we have one of the most promising, but still least 

 generally known and appreciated, tracts of the colony before us. 



Isolated by natural boundaries — which are formed northward 

 by Alpine mountains ; eastward and westward by morasses, 



