capacity is concerned these districts differ very widely, and that 

 by far the greater area may be classified as poor. As a general 

 rule this fact is not due to any inferiority of the soil, but to the 

 uncertainty of the seasons and the scantiness of the rainfall. In 

 reality, throughout a large proportion of the pastoral lands of low- 

 carrying capacity, the fertility of the soil is remarkable. As an 

 instance of this, it was found on the Lower Darling by actual 

 experiment that land which in its natural state could scarcely 

 support one sheep to every 10 acres was capable of supporting 

 more than 20 sheep to one acre when it was laid down in lucerne 

 and irrigated. In a dry season in such country not a vestige of 

 grass can be seen and the leaves of the edible scrub within reach 

 of the sheep gradually disappear. The wanderings of the starving 

 stockin search of sustenance, and the concentration near permanent 

 supplies of water, have the effect of pulverising the surface of the 

 ground until the soil assumes a flour-like consistency. An almost 

 impalpable dust is raised as the sheep move about, and is often 

 carried in a cloud so dense and stifling as to render breathing 

 ditBcult, and coating the fleeces with a layer which settles among 

 the wool, tinging its snowy lustre and checking its growth. To 

 such an extent does this affect the fleece that at shearing time the 

 dust is sometimes found in a ridge an inch in thickness along the 

 back, making the wool tender and giving it a reddish tinge which 



the ridge of sand necessitating the dismemberment of the fleece, 

 until perhaps the only sound portions are those along the flanks 

 and coupling. None but those who have experienced droughts m 

 the Western district can realise the misery they entail. The loss 

 is enormous, not only in actual numbers of the stock, but in the 

 failure of increase, and, as already explained, in deterioration in 

 the quality of the wool. Efforts are frequently made to avoid or 

 reduce those losses by sending the sheep to the mountains, or to 

 other localities where pasture is obtainable ; but this course always 

 involves considerable expense and much risk, and frequently results 

 in the loss of a serious proportion of the sheep. In one instance 

 40,000 sheep were sent to the mountains, where the pasture just 

 sufficed to keep them alive, and after s]»ending the summer there 

 they were started on the return journry. They had over 600 

 miles to travel, and the travelling stcek nnites and reserves proved 

 to be so completely denuded ot grass tliat hay and chaff had to be 

 purchased at very high rates. The outlay in this way reached 

 ^600 per week ; and, notwithstanding that every possible effort 

 was made to save the sheep, they died in thousands, and only a 

 small fraction reached their destination. Cases of this description 



