The Dunstan Times FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1873.

Dunstan Times, Issue 560, 10 January 1873, Page 2

The Dunstan Times

FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1873.

(■ifueaththe Rnlpof Ev-rrumY the pen is MicuTiEit than the swoed.

Tnn harvest of 1873 promises by no j ■ means to boa prolific one, ar even profitable to tho farming; interests Season 1 after season appears to be drier and ’ drier, and. instead of an abatement of | tlm evil, every year it is getting worse. This appears to bo the esse all over the Province, and, wh»" we look at he causes said to have occasioned this drought, wc can only recognise them a? truths The country by being overstocked with sheep and cattle, is almost denuded of grass, and a few years ago where plains and hillsides were almost meadows, they are now little better than miniature deserts of sand. Since tho high price of wool, the evil is only beingaugtnented, sheep are depastured everywhere, and so thickly, that tlxe blades of grass have not positively time to grow", being - eaten off the moment they make their appearance above ground, leaving the surface fully exposed to t!in rays of the burning sun, so that every atom • of-moisture is evaporated. The foiests are being rapidly destroyed, tie destruction of trees ii most relentless, and wantonly mischievous, saplings and the full grown monarch of the vegetable world being alike cut down, ami as but few of our native trees make a second growth, where woods once attracted moisture, nothing is now left to induce tho rain clouds to deposit their nourishment. Tu the ; planting of trees nothing whatever appears to bo done, except the few placed out by the farmers near their homesteads, or iu private gaidcns. The squatters, who are mostly interested in preserving good pasturage, and who receive "bonefits from is fur in excess of any other class, do nothing—all they want is wool, let the country be ever such a wilderness and meat - v w -o dear. It appears to IV< 'h it u 'lie PaH-Wl! 'f-nViV-, jif j t.b - (how <•<> {■-mi- |i.-.d to- 1 >.( tu - - "a a -rut 'h. lr Inl-Vugs there wiiK be ■> • u "• ! ;< bi i-i a f-w years ‘ .o-i’siy effect«•!. The * farmers -diVo'd »'•"» b ■ c-.Hio.-,].; ( , plant trees—the tilling - f Tie hi (1 / .1 di d ago of ! ! 9-va ■ i'' ! ■id t-> dt-crcasv the raia- ■,

ill-, and this can only he compensated * rhv punning trees. Both farm ami garden lias this year been uuprotitaUe. Ou«-exchanges show that all over the Province the crops- are light, while in numerous localities, they are not worth cutting. Labor is excessively scarce and dear, and it is questionable after pa\ merit of outgoings, cultivators wdl have anything left for hrmselves The fruit season is but a poor one. the late frosts havr g almost denuded die trees, whi o the wind and heat has caused large quantities to fall uuripened to the ground, many tender kinds of trees having positively perished. In Australia we read the dry seasons come in cycles, our cycle appears to bo an ever iucicasing one, and until something is done in the shape of planting trees to restore the rapidly declining'inoisture the evil will still go on increasing.