100 Wheat Culture in New South Wales. 



The yield of wheat in this period ranged between 7 and 11^ 

 bushels, the average being only 9 bushels per acre, or about 7£ 

 bushels under the average of the previous five years. 



The depressing influence of bad crops is very manifest through- 

 out the whole of the period under review in the diminished 

 cultivation of the following year, and we are almost surprised 

 that in the Midland and Northern divisions wheat culture is not 

 altogether abandoned. 



PASTORAL DISTRICTS. 



6. We will turn now to an examination of the returns from 

 the comparatively virgin soils of the Pastoral Districts. Here 

 we find 13,020 acres sown in wheat in 1858, increasing up to 

 19,566 acres in 1862 ; the average of the 5 years being 16,458 

 acres. 



The yield commenced with 19"2 bushels in 1858, and gradually 

 dropped to 12 3 bushels in 1862 — the average being a little over 

 15 bushels per acre, that is 3 bushels in excess of the average of 

 the old settled counties in the same period. 



The second quinquennial period commences with 17,909 acres 

 under wheat, increased to 42,311 acres in 1865, and drops again to 

 34,832 acres in 1867 ; the average being 31,965 acres, an increase 

 of 91 per cent, upon the acreage of the previous five years. 



The yield ranged Irorn 11 - 1 bushels per acre in 1863 up to 17"2 

 in 1866, and fell again to 12'6 in 1867 — the average of the five 

 years being rather under 12! bushels ; that is about 21 bushels 

 below the average of the earlier quinquennial period, and about 

 31 bushels over the average of the old settled counties in the 

 corresponding period. 



Looking to the results of the ten years over the whole colony, 

 we find that in the first five years there was an average annual 

 breadth of land laid down in wheat for grain of 114,204 acres, with 

 an average yield of 1,482,998 bushels, being at the rate of 13 

 bushels per acre ; whilst in the second five years the average 

 annual breadth of land sown in wheat for grain was 132,864 

 acres, with an average yield of 1,345,814 bushels, being at the 

 rate of 10 bushels to the acre. 



Such are the results of au investigation into the statistics of 

 wheat-growing in New South Wales since the year 1857. They 

 are not encouraging to the prosecution of this branch of agri- 

 culture, and yet the farmers of South Australia set us an example 

 of industry and perseverance in this very branch of husbandry, 

 under circumstances, but little, if at all, more encouraging ; for 

 I find that in a corresponding period to that which we have been 

 reviewing, their average yield has very slightly exceeded 10 

 bushels per acre. It has been as low as 4 bushels per acre, and 

 as high as 14, and they are glad to sell their wheat on the ground 

 at 3s. 6d per bushel. 



