Agricultural Exports of Western Australia. 245 



acre was paid in respect of 82,670 acres, and on the supposition 

 that it is not necessary further to reduce the minimum limit, 

 the French Government have now estimated at 88,000 acres 

 the area for which may be claimed a bonus. 



In a report prepared by the Commissioner of Crown 



' . , Lands in Western Australia for the 



Agricultural ^ ^ ^ . . . . , 



Exports of KOyar Commission on Agriculture it is 



Western stated that the position of that colony as 

 i/Lustralia 



a probable exporting country of agricul- 

 tural produce differs considerably from that of the other 

 colonies, and that, owing to the 1-arge discoveries of gold 

 and the consequent rather rapid increase in the consuming 

 population. Western Australia is much more likely to require 

 to import a portion of her food stuffs for the next eight or ten 

 years than to contribute to the supply of agricultural produce 

 for the markets of the United Kingdom. It seems that the 

 development of the soil and the settlement of the land in the 

 colony is a somewhat slow and laborious process, and does 

 not as yet appear to keep pace with the increase of mouths 

 requiring to be fed, and that section of the community smitten 

 with the gold fever is said to show a decided distaste for 

 settling down to the less exciting and more laborious occupa- 

 tion of cultivating the soil. The one possible exception to 

 this condition of things may be the case of fat stock in the 

 northern pastoral areas, where, it is pointed out, owing to the 

 probable rapid increase in fat cattle, and perhaps sheep, no 

 doubt efforts will be made to export the surplus to the conti- 

 nental markets of the NoTthern Hemisphere, and on account 

 of the superior geographical position of Western Australia, as 

 compared with the eastern colonies (saving some days of 

 steam), success in landing them alive and in good order should 

 be possible ; but some few years ^will probably elapse before 

 the surplus over and above the local requirements will 

 necessitate these undertakings, and a further diverting factor 

 may also arise in the efforts that are being made to create 



