AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5612, 25 March 1879, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

(pee botokua at the bleep.) Melbourne, March 18. * Governor Normanhy last Thursday attended the agricultural show at Lancefield, where he made a good practical speech to the farmers, and remarked upon the ad vantage's of teaching the science of agriculture. In ; the course of the speech he said :—“ln the ’colony which I have left the general crop of wheat is something perfectly astounding,, but then most of the land has only been cultivated for a short time. As much : as fifty, sixty) seventy, and eighty bushels to the acre'are not uncommon there. lam happy to ;say;that in. some parts of the colony they have introduced a better system of farming than, is usual in a young country. I trust you will follow: the same example, and that you will recoup the land that which : you take from it. If you do that you need not fear J but to cultivate land well will require a certain amount of capital. : The Governor . shortly visits Sandhurst, and yesterday was present at Kyneton races ; on Saturday he was at the regatta, so that his Excellency has been fully occupied since his arrival. Want of rain has.been much felt, but within the last day or two there has been'a partial downfall in some parts of the colony, and a heavy thunderstorm last week has cleared the air and it is now quite cool. It is stated that negotiations for the mail service have been; suspended, in the hope of inducing all the colonies , to enter into a scheme under a combined arrangement. ■ . The Exhibition buildings are being rapidly proceeded with, and favorable, notices from Europe have been received. France will send exhibits'by a war ship ; Belgium and Holland will also send exhibits. . Walter Lynch, said to be one of the Kelly sympathisers, who was some time ago arrested for sending a threatenicg letter to, Mr. Monk, near Mansfield, in the name of Ned Kelly, was tried at the. Criminal Court yesterday and found guilty. Sentence was deferred. > . A young man named McCammon, one of the permanent cricketers belonging to the Melbourne Cricket Club,-was arrested-last week for stealing money and a diamond ring, from the pockets of members in the pavillion. At the Police Court the charge was not pressed against him, but he was sentenced to seven days’ solitary confinement. the remainder of the English cricketers meet their colleagues at Auckland, and all proceed Home via California, except the profes-. siohals, who went per Garonne. Miss'Augusta Dargon is now playing at the Theatre Royal with great success, and is considered the best actress who,, ever visited Victoria. Business continues very dull, but some little animation has been shown in wheat for export tO England.^^^^^^