432 



REPORTS ON FOREIGN CROPS. 



[March 1896. 



to the average. The yield of winter wheat was 19 bushels per 

 acre, which is a little under the average. The yield of oats ex- 

 ceeded the estimate and amounted to 35'7 bushels per acre, which 

 on the estimated area sown would give a return of 84,697,566 

 bushels. The hay crop was 1,700,000 tons less than in 1894, 

 and this deficiency is stated to represent a loss greater than the 

 value of the entire wheat crop of the Province. 



The number of cattle in the Province in 1895 according to 

 returns received from farmers was 2,150,103, of which number 

 388,000 were milch cows. There were 2,020,000 sheep and 

 lambs and 1,300,000 swine. 



The Australian Wheat Harvest. 



According to statements which have appeared in the Town 

 and Country Journal and other Australian papers, the drought 

 has hit the agricultural industry in Australia quite as hard as 

 the pastoral ; and there has been a serious falling off in the 

 wheab harvest. In New South Wales, the wheat harvest is 

 estimated to have fallen short of that of last year. South 

 Australia, which, until quite recently, was expected to have a 

 surplus of at least 200,000 tons of wheat available for export, 

 will, it is feared, not have a quarter of that quantity to spare, 

 many of the later crops being a comparative failure. In Victoria, 

 the reverse that has overtaken the unfortunate wheat-growers 

 is reported to be little short of a national disaster. Here the 

 effects of the drought have been felt far more seriously than 

 in either New South Wales or South Australia. In most of 

 the finest agricultural districts the wheat crops have been a 

 complete failure, and this year Victoria, instead of being an 

 exporter of wheat, will have to be a large importer. While 

 this reverse will fall with especial severity upon Victoria, 

 coming, as it does, at a time when hopes of returning prosperity 

 were beginning to be entertained, it will also touch all the 

 colonies. Already shiploads of American wheat are reported to 

 be on the way to meet demands from New South Wales and 

 Queensland in anticipation of the shortage in the Australian 

 harvests, and the inevitable rise in price. New South Wales 

 has not yet been able to supply her own requirements of bread- 

 stuffs, but hitherto her deficiency has been more than covered by 

 the surplus of Victoria and South Australia. It is thought, 

 however, that had the present season not been so disastrously 

 dry New South Wales would, for the first time, have been in 

 a position of independence of outside sources for her supply of 

 bread stuffs. 



The harvest prospects in Victoria are commented upon in the 

 Melbourne WeeJdy Times as follows : — 



The question as to whether Victoria will have to import w^heat is one 

 that has got to be faced. To arrive at something like an answer figures 



