A THIRSTY LAND.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1455, 1 June 1912, Page 11

A THIRSTY LAND.

DROUGHT IN NEW SOUTH WALES, j j A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS, Doleful stories of the havoc, wrought t>js the prorailiug drought in isew fc'outli j Wales aro told by Mr. Thomas Honlt, a; J''iclUiii!f horse exporter, wlic , ref.unioil from Sydney by the 3|aijii(j.'uHli. Mr. IFonlt s-peaks from a tolerably bxtcmlvcl exporience, having i.iuule large J ehipiuents of horsc-s to Australia fliiriiig} the last four .year.-'. The drought is raging, ho slate?, in the southern, western, and north-u-e.4 districts of -NiW Spilth,Wales. The state to which stock have been reduced in these districts. JhV HouW describes as appalling. Hirers -anti tmyk-s----in many places have coiiiplofel'y dri.eil up. The paddocks are burned, bald', and ,, not a blaile of grass is to be..b.ec.ii, Stock animals are dying off like jli.esy a'wl.-nre-simply left lying where they djc:. Even if rain came now, Jlr. Hoult states, f.r«h. troubles would come in its JrHin. Slrar.p frosts accompanying the raii.i. iVonUi kill off the ewes in thousands. ~ The 2von- South Wales fai:mefs,' Alh Hoult remarked, <lid not seem jo. inakp any provision in anticipation of,a (Iroiight. In his opinion, before letting■■theii; .stock, fall into a hopelessly weak', stater the farmers should sell at any ip.rice , .. lift the present drought many farmers have ..retained their stock with disiisJieuVirewir."The animals cannot travel, ait'ej' w.here , th> farms lie miles away from *:k ■railway;.'the position is absolutely hopeless'. 'Evcft wliere a railway is handy thtfr'fc Is sp , great a demand for .trucks that fariners , ■luiye fp wait for as long as three or I'c.ijr weeks before they can get any. . ■ . The belief prevails in Australia,. Mr. Hoult stated, that the drought:wjlt:Opnr timiD for two or three years',. New ■%«!' land exporters of draught:..-, .horses; (he speaks here from personal" experience:) have suffered heavy loss as,' ,i: result of the drought. In the graiiysryvinK'-areas of New South Wales tlieT gro'jjid Is sphard that it cannot be wqiikpd.'v ■.Even if it could there is no rain to' iciicSurage tne growth of the crops. As aoiiesuiphe-#*■ mand for draught horses is .cut off.-. .Another factor which has pperatejl flctrimcntally on the horse tra'do ;iV : fl«v-limn price of fodder. Chaff is being: spiel -iii .E8 a ton, hay at £1 10s., and; :ey.i;n. .rii.niihoii straw is being told as fodder for:fronv.;£l to ,£5 a ton. "This season Ms'':lost ; ,"' Jlr. Hoult remarked, "and th'erjeVw.iJ!: :be jib demand for horses for a--oaf'ov: Wa, until a. good geneial rain is;Kpftf,ience(L In Sydney itself, he wqnt'i-ojv tpi : state, there have been plentifiil tains.' ; Uiir.ing the last three months, an<l.ii.)uch;..pf. the land along the South Coast -is; in. excel lent, condition. The drought area .commences about 110 miles inland abundanco of grass on the , Saujlij. Coast had induced many farmers': t<?' fPJJ'Q. , tlieir stock there, but very high prices. were being charged for paddockiiftr... .Rates: as high as 4s. and ss. per fheacl. .per wepK wca-e being obtained for the,pastnr.ago: Pf cattle and horses, where-Ss. .iiv .-New. Zefl;land at the present time;thc.■.corresponding rates are from Is. 6d.-:.'to'2s:..j*r- , h'ca<i. The New South Wales rates i : : :ni,entioiied.. are. eased somewhat where.yth'o.jstpcK. qrq left for long periods." '■"': '<,;■*■: .. ;, The drought spells many small fanners, and some of■■theipccup.ants of Inrgo areas are in little bitter;.;.ca?e> . "\s a New Zealaiuler,":.wa.s Jfr.;;,irpuUs final remark, "when I 'thinkVfo.f;."these droughts, and having seen-what. I ,hayo. seen, I frol very a homo to come back to in.::New;:/!ealan;!, whore we don't know what;;droughts;a.re.i. I think that we should beitheynostccontouted ami happy people;in;;.the"wprl(U