113 



He quotes the line as : —Queensland border north of Ashfoxd, then Glen Innes, 

 Inverell, Barraba, Tamworth, Moonbi, Nundle, Murrurundi, Muswellbrook, Denman, 

 Wollar, Kylstone, Mudgee, Sofala, Bathurst, Cowra, Crookwell, Goulburn, Queanbeyan, 

 Yass, Tumut, Holbrook, Bowna <\\eav Albury). 



We have not yet absolutely settled the eastern and western wheat lines in New 

 South "Wales, nor the eastern and western Eucalyptus albens lines ; it will probably 

 take many years to do this. It is a coincidence that the above pairs of lines show so 

 much parallelism, and hence there becomes added interest in our investigation of the 

 range of E. albens. Other students will follow the ranges of this species and of wheat 

 in other States, and thus we have an incentive to study the curving boundaries of other 

 species. 



6. Goyders Line of South Australia. I have already invited attention to the 

 value of the curving boimdary of E. albens as an agricultural or wheat line in New South 

 Wales, and I proceed to give an account of Goyder's Line, a rainfall line, north of which 

 farmers would attempt to grow wheat at their peril. South Australian botanists should 

 study it in connection with the range of E. albens. 



South Australia experienced an unusually severe drought in 1 865. On November 

 3rd of that year. the. Commissioner of Crown lands instructed the Surveyor-General 

 (Mr. G. W. Goyder) to proceed to the north of the State, with as little delay as possible, 

 and by his own personal observations obtain such information to enable him to lay 

 down on a map a Une of demarcation between that portion of the country where the 

 rainfall has extended and that where the droughts prevail. 



In Mr. Goyder's report to the Government on this matter (December 6th, 

 1865) {see Proceedings of Parliament, 1865-6, Nos. 62, 78, 82, 133, 154), he says :— 



Had the drought, which unfortunately still prevails, been that of an ordinary nature, there had been 

 no necessity for my leaving town upon this duty, as the line of demarcation might have been shown from 

 information previously in my possession . . . The drought, however, being of an unusually severe 

 nature, and extending more generally than any previously known, it became indispensable to add to my 

 previous experience the knowledge of the state of the country as it now exists . . . 



The result of my investigation shows the line of demarcation extending considerably further south 

 than I anticipated. The change from the country suffering from excessive drought to that where its effect 

 has only been slightly experienced being palpable to the eye from the nature of the country itself, and may 

 be described as bare ground, destitute of grass and herbage ; the surface soil dried by the intense heat, in 

 places broken and pulverised by the passage of stock, and formed by the action of the wind into miniature 

 hummock3, surrounding the closely cropped stumps of salt, blue and other dwarf bushes, whilst those of 

 greater elevation are denuded of their leaves and smaller branches as far as the stock can reach. This 

 description generally holds good of all country upon which stock has been depastured and where the drought 

 obtains. The change from that to where the drought has had a less serious effect being shown by the fresher 

 and more leafy appearance of the bushes, gradually improving to those in their ordinary state, and the 

 gradual increase of other vegetation from bare ground to well grassed country. 



During my visit I observed that places upon stocked runs pretty well grassed during the drought of 

 1859 are now utterly destitute of grass or herbage. 



The line of demarcation I found to extend from Swan Reach on the River Murray, in a north-westerly 

 direction, to the Burra Hill ; and thence north to Oak Rises, east of Ulooloo, and by the last-named hill to 

 Mount Sly ; and in a northerly and westerly direction as shown by plan herewith forwarded, by the Hogshead 



