66 Animal Products. 



country now contain the materials from which an Australianised 

 merino could be formed — an animal that would produce a quan- 

 tity of wool equal to any sheep in the world fed in the same 

 manner, and of a quality adapted to the highest manufacturing 

 purposes. 



Though the pastoral resources of the colony admit of very 

 great expansion little has been done by the occupants of Crown 

 lands, owing to the uncertainty of their tenure, beyond availing 

 themselves of the natural advantages of their position. Many 

 of the sheep and cattle runs are as yet imperfectly stocked ; 

 there are many tracts of the Alps available for summer pasture, 

 as yet unoccupied ; there is still the possibility of rendering 

 many parts of the north-western district available for pasture 

 by draining the water of the winter rains into main channels 

 and in sheltering it from evaporation, or by sinking Artesian 

 and other wells ; in other places where too much water lies in 

 winter, plough-draining or surface-draining may be advan- 

 tageously employed ; runs already stocked may be made to 

 carry more stock, when subdivided by fencing, while the area 

 of pasture ground may be extended by a judicious burning of 

 the underwood, transforming our forest wilderness into fertile 

 grassy uplands. 



Again, we may introduce with advantage such perennial grasses 

 and herbage as are calculated to resist the drought of our 

 summers, and the few experiments which have been made with 

 ryegrass and clovers have been most encouraging. Competent 

 judges estimate that by these means the grazing capabilities of 

 the colony may be increased threefold. 



