228 
MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
Contemplating this indisputable fact, that the culti¬ 
vated productions of the earth are the real foundation 
of all trade, the chief promoting cause of alL domestic 
and social comfort and happiness, and bv means of 
commerce the chief cause of that social intercourse 
between the nations of the earth, which lias produced, 
and is increasingly producing such, happy results 
throughout the world, that mind must be narrow, 
indeed, which is not impressed with the vast impor 
tance to the human race of the science which teaches 
us the best means of realising those benefits prepared 
for cs by that beneficent Being, the Creator and Ruler 
of all, or which is not tinctured with a desire to pro¬ 
mote, in every possible way, the advancement and 
spread of that knowledge which must eventuate in the 
improved and more productive cultivation of the soil, 
thereby ameliorating, in some degree-, the punishment 
to which man, in the garden of Eden, was condemned 
for iris disobedience*. "Sensible, then, of these consider¬ 
ations let ns earnestly endeavour to arouse others to 
join in the task with us, and go on undaunted hv appa¬ 
rent failure, for rest assured that while we persevere 
in scattering the seeds some will eventually fall into 
good ground, take root, spring up, and produce a hun¬ 
dred fold. 
In the inarch of improvement, agricultural science 
has not kept pace with other branches of knowledge, 
such, for instance, as astronomy, mechanics, chemistry, 
&c., although in some of these many discoveries have 
been made "of the greatest importance and utility in an 
agricultural point of view. The causes which have 
tended to retard its progress arc various, but wo need 
not now stop to inquire" into them. Until very recent 
times agriculture, as practised in civilised Europe, 
differed little from that of the oldest nations of anti¬ 
quity. And even now, although agricultural literature 
has been so extensively added to of late years, and 
enriched by the genius of such men as Sir ilumphrey 
Davy and Professor Liebig, yet the science can only be 
looked upon as in its infancy, and the practice generally 
of the most primitive nature. "But in Great Britain 
the tide of agricultural improvement has fairly com¬ 
menced to flow, the right track struck upon, and there 
is little doubt that the ground lost will soon be reco¬ 
vered, and our science speedily take its place beside 
those in the first rank, 
I see in all this progression bright prospects for 
Australia generally, and for New South Wales in par¬ 
ticular. It is true that this country has a longdis¬ 
tance to travel before she readies the standard of older 
countries, imperfect though it be ; but from this fact I 
draw the inference that her neeesri v will force her to 
progress in the pursuit of agriculture, and, once started, 
success, wincli will most certainly follow, must drive 
her onwards, until she reaches that point for which 
nature has unmistakeably designed her, namely, to 
take a high position amongst the great agricultural 
nations of the universe. It may bo said that T am 
enthusiastic in favour of agriculture in Australia. I 
admit the charge, but contend that experienced reason 
has given birth to that enthusiasm. From infancy 
trained to a profession which involved the practical 
study of soils, climates, and other phases of nature, 1 
have not neglected to observe, examine, and study the 
capabilities and agricultural prospects of the Australian 
colonies, so far as the knowledge and ability of a mere 
practical man could. And my pursuits Laving led me 
to travel over the greater part of New South Wales and 
Victoria, as well as! to a considerable extent over South 
Australia and Tasmania, I think that I am entitled to 
he considered competent, tfc give an opinion without 
laying myself open to the charge of empiricism. 
a million sterling, and Victoria about, two millions for 
imported bread "stuffs alone; besides being in direct 
opposition to an assertion made in the highest court of 
the country, by one of our greatest native legislators, 
to tho effect that, Both nature and providence had 
conspired to unfit the lands of this country for agricul¬ 
tural pursuits, and to fit them only for pastoral occupa¬ 
tion.” Whether this assertion resulted from, interest, 
prejudice, or ignorance, wo will not now stop to inquire, 
it is sufficient to say that we will not take him at his 
word *, and it is much to be regretted that men of influ¬ 
ence are led-to make such rash and mischievous asser¬ 
tions. Who can tell what injury may be done to tho 
country by them, and when that injury may cease? 
Emigrants and capitalists may be deterred from coming 
to the country, and even residents frightened from 
embarking in agricultural pursuits; and I have pre¬ 
viously shown that unless this, or any other country, 
becomes to a certain extent agricultural, comfort, 
happiness, and even civilisation itself, will take their 
departure, and the inhabitants, of whatever race 
they may be, gradually settle down into a state of bar¬ 
barism ; and that a liigh state of agriculture must 
always be attended by a correspondingly high state of 
civilisation, and all that is good, high, anil noble in our 
race. 
That some of the lands of New South Wales are 
extremely productive is proved by the extraordinary 
crops of wheat, maixe, &e. f sometimes yielded, and that 
with scarcely any cultivation at all; and we have 
extensive districts whose fertility would compare 
favourably with that of any country in the world. 
This, however, is not denied by any one competent to 
form an. opinion upon the subject, and who will give a 
candid one. The fertility of the country, then, beiug 
acknowledged, this question suggests itself, what are 
the causes which tend to, and have, placed the country 
far behind all others iu her agricultural position? 
Alany causes may he named which have all, in some 
degree,’contributed to this unfortunate result; but I do 
not think the climate particularly unfavourable, 
although by most people it is blamed as the sole, or at 
any rate as the chief one. Chief amongst these accusers 
of’the climate are the agriculturists" themselves, if, 
indeed, it is not a libel to accord to them such an 
honourable name; exceptions there may be, and I 
know there are some worthy ones. Now all these 
accusers of the poor climate and its dryness seem to 
have an intuitive feeling that Providence has not 
intended the rich hills and valleys which surround 
them to lie in idleness; and like people who have 
neglected some duty, they seek to find an excuse, 
ashamed to acknowledge that the fault lies at their 
own doors. No doubt New South Wales, like other 
countries has varying seasons, and occasionally crops 
fail from excessive drought. But where is there a 
land when crops never fail from some occasional pecu¬ 
liarity in the season? Now here, and there, are few 
countries, indeed, whose climatic influences do not 
produce failure of crops more frequently than those of 
our own* It is, perhaps, quite true that this country 
has a decided pre-eminence for drought, and that crop’s 
would he more frequently injured by them here than 
in most other countries. But it is also quite as true 
that she is free from every other defect or disadvantage 
of climate which affects cultivation throughout the 
greater portion of the globe. Is it not a fact that all 
grain-producing countries are frequently subjected to 
failure ? Is there one -from the great agricultural 
England down to the smallest province of Russia, or a 
South American State, where failure is not sometimes 
experienced, and that chiefly from causes not so easily 
remedied as our bugbear of dry seasons? Overcome 
Having thus inquiringly examined these fourAustra- . -- s . . , . 
lian colonies, I have arrived at the conclusion that the evil which droughts bring upon us, and no climatic 
each and all of them are capable of agricultural deve- disadvantage whatever remains to contend against, 
lopement to such an extent as to preclude the impor- Amongst the causes which have led to our present 
tation of bread stuffs (at least) from foreign countries, shameful agricultural position, 1 look upon the tollow- 
Now this opinion must look rather bold in the face of ing as the chief, namely, the extraordinary return for 
tho fact, that New South Wales pays annually nearly labour and capital afforded by pastoial investments 
