486 



Agriculture in South Australia. 



Agriculture in South Australia. 



In a recently published report on the Agricultural and Live- 

 Stock Statistics of South Australia for the year ending 3 1 st 

 March, 1897, it is stated that there has been no appreciable 

 change in the area brought under agricultural settlement 

 during the last five years throughout Australasia, the 

 cultivated area having averaged under ten millions of acres, 

 of which about one-fourth, or 2,584,000 acres, were in South 

 Australia. There has been a decrease of i'57 per cent, in 

 the area under cultivation, and of 3*94 per cent, in the number 

 of sheep since the year 1892-93. 



In proportion to population, there are in South Australia 

 7-38 acres under cultivation per head ; in New South Wales, 



1- 29 ; in Victoria, 2-44 ; in New Zealand, 2*21 ; in Tasmania, 



2- 85; in Western Australia, 1*51; and in Queensland, 0*65 

 acres ; the average for the whole of Australasia being 2*26 acres 

 per head. The average value of the agricultural produce in 

 Australasia in 1894-5 was iSs., and in South Australia 

 £^ 8s. per head of the population. The average quantity of 

 land under tillage in South Australia is 90 acres for each 

 individual engaged in farming pursuits. 



The principal crops cultivated in this colony include wheat, 

 cereal hay, oats, barley, peas, and potatoes. During the 

 period under review two-thirds of the whole area was under 

 wheat, nearly five acres being sown for each individual of 

 the population. The total number of acres under wheat was 

 1,693,045, as compared with 1,520,580 acres in 1892-3, showing 

 an increase of 172,465 acres, or 11*34 per cent. But the area 

 under wheat in 1892-3 represented a minimum, and, although 

 there has been a recovery since that year, the acreage is still 

 considerably below the extent sown in 1889-90, or during 

 the period 1880-5. The colony continues to grow^ nearly one- 

 half of the entire wheat crop of Australia. 



During the ten years ended 1894 the average yield of 

 wheat in Australasia was about ten bushels to the acre, while 

 ^n South Australia it was only seven. The statistician of 

 New South Wales has stated that, owing to the favourable 

 conditions of cultivation a yield of seven bushels in South 

 Australia is financially as satisfactory as one of fifteen 



