AUSTRALIA AGRICULTURAL & PASTORAL PROSPECTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 8

AUSTRALIA AGRICULTURAL & PASTORAL PROSPECTS.

(Correspondents of the Pasforalists's Review.) NEW SOUTH WALES. Sydney s August 10. ■ During the past month rain felt in varying quantities' over the whole State, but it was" accompanied, by such cold weafcher that its gqpd'entact was largely^ dieeounted. - The great, work o# the yeai* — shearing — has now commenced, and in.a few weeks mostof the early sheds will be in full swing.' The first sheds to start are in the north and north-west, then operations work south, ending up_witb' the Monaro towards the olose of the year. Reports from the north indicate tihat some good clips may be expected, but a great deal of this year's wool "muet show some' effect of "the variations rf the season. Official figures in regard to this year's lambing have just been issued, and the estimated results, based upon the reports of the various stoa' inspectors, are as follows : — At the beginning of the year there 'were approximately 21,815,000 ewes in the State, and of these 12,6*9,000, or 58 p&r cent., were mated- for the earlier lambings. Taking the two lambings, the lambs dropped numbered 9,964,000, or 79 per cent., but on account of the dry weather conditions which have been experienced in many parts of the State the estimated number of markings will not amount to more than 8,207,000, or only 65 per cent, of the ewes. Notwithstanding the unfavourable season the probable markings are about 1,700,000 in excess of tho estimate for the previous year, when the lambing was carried out «"nder eomewihat similar unfavourable conditions. These figures refer to the autumn lambings, and th© detailed statistics show tlat - the,, western slopes, nor' -west ylains, and the Riverina are the districts where early lambing ie most largely carried out. It vi estimated that about 4,050,000 ewes' were Preserved foTT the spring' lambing, and- by far „ the? greatest <mimb&r " of* these .. lambs wift be born on the tablelands of New England and the Monaro, and around Moree,' Pihiga, and NaorrabrL The rabbit pest is still an ever-present curse, and if the feed is scarce 'r.*H» season their presence will bs, very- keenly- felt. VICTORIA. - Melbourne, August 10. The rainfall since last writing has been ample for all requirements — indeed, in many, districts it has been more than ample, and a recurrence of last month's floods wa6 feared. Thanks to the abundance of feed everywhere 6tock have not suffered as much I from the cold snaps ' aer they would have done had the autumn been drier. There have been 'few reports of losses even in j the lambing paddocks,, which is most satisfactory. The lambing is now pretty well j - over, and, taking: the State as a whole, it has been from fair to good. Certainly I the percentage will be higher than it was in 1908. There is no reliable estimate available as to what the increase has been in Victoria, but Southern Riverina returns indicate a percentage of about 73 per cent. The Victorian figures should be rather better than this. ■' Shearing commenced in Southern Riverina on the let inst., and will start in thi* State about the middle of September. The urst eheds to call the. roll are in the north, on the New South Wales border, and the extreme west, adjoining South Australia, and from there the men work gradually in towards me centre. No trouble ns^antici- . pated m obtain Wg. slifererfi. TEe Riverina sheds have co far filled well, and^ labour is abundant^ ' ■ . Farming operations, owing to the wet '.state- of the coil, are practically ■" at- a^ standstill. , Crops, if a little on the rank side, look well. Of course tihero is nothing doing „ yet in either the frozen meat or butter export trade. Regarding the former there will probably be a very large number of lambs available for freezing, but it has yet to be proved 'i growers will accept ■ exporters' prices. If the> London" market continues as at present shippers will not be justified in giving more than 8s for a good Mib lamb, and even that would only allow ; him a very small margin of profit. QUEENSLAND. Brisbane, August 9. During the month of July light- *nd eoa-t-tered rains were recorded over a large por,tion of the States the chief areas affected being the Central District and fihe Darling Downs. The precipitation in the inland districts was in general of too light a nature 1 to do much good as far as feed is conI cerned, and, indeed, in many instances had a prejudicial effect on the grasses, whilst [ the water supply, which has been causing anxiety- for some lime past, is still unreplenished. The winter, which has hitherto I been extremely mild, has now 1 changed, and keen frosts and cutting westerly wuids ' are reported from all portions of the- State. . Shearing in the central and northern districts ,is getting into full swing, and the various contract shearing plants have a long 1 run before them. In the agricultural districts of the Darling Downs tile xecent rains have proved most welcome to the " wheat-farmere, who were getting rather anxious in view of the /Continued dry weather conditions. All ' the wheat which is above the ground is doing well — in fact, in the Maranoa district the recent frosts came very opportunely to check too rapid growth. The very good prospects for grain, ac shown by the English market reports, have induced the planting of a lar--!y-inerease<l area in this State,

and, granted favourable weather conditions, we should have a bumper harvest. There has been no revival in the fat sheep markets, as owners are not prepared to accept prices offered by the meat works. A fair business has been done in cattle, and in this connection it is interesting to note that the beef exports from Queensland are at present unusually heavy, and exceed tho combined exports of tho other Australian States and New Zealand. There is at present on the water for the United Kingdom some 83,000 quarters of beef, and of these over 51,000 quarters are from Queensland. NORTH QUEENSLAND. August 3. Climate, season, and most of the good things of the earth are in the way of northern pastoralists this year. During the past month we have had a further fine rainfall over most of the State. The meat work* are operating cheerily, and rail traffic L heavy. A good deal of our prosperity up here isdue, of course, to the good prices ruling for wool and stock, and* in thia we, relya good deal on export prices as paid by the four factories now working. Bullocks are good property, worth 18s per 1001b, but there have been sales at kes. As a fact t&e works have plenty for bheir capacity. \. need* exists .for^ a,- big - boiling plant, and - the sooner .the sheep-men grasp the Situa- , tion and act in ,this t . direction the better. "It -need not. be a very expensive 'concern-. " If £2000 to £3006 i& well expended a plank ■ to boil 2000" sheep a day could be put up • by the rail side-. With skin-vajue 6o.gobd boiling old ewes- is payable business. Just, now they would return about 5s to 5s 6d — full-TVoolkd, I mean. Good wool is 'being grown in epinifercountry. The last sale to note is the Carnford clip from the desert country near Torrens. ©nocik — most of it to ll|d to id an • acre country — a sheep to two acres and- , thereabout. Large areas of country are soon* to be opened near Hug'.ienden, notably the Lammermoor resumption, and there will be big surveys 1 of resumptions taken over by the Government at last land courts. Labour is fairly plentiful, and shearers ! condescend to accept the £2 a day available : to them for * fair day's work. So far as < the other industries of the north are concerned there is, r believe, little to complain of. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Adelaide, August' 10. July provided 22 consecutive wet days, an, exceptional experience .in this State even in mid-winter. The month was consistently cold and wet. snow falling in esveral places, and one or two sharp frosts being recorded. The rainfall was nearly an inch above the average for the seventh month, and up to the present time 1909 is nearly half an inch above the State's average for the same period last year. ! With few exceptions grass and herbage J throughout the. pastcral districts are good, I and the outlook is full of promise. ' The ! inside country has an ample supply of water, and though the' crops and grass, 'are i backward on account of-t-he'eojd weather, I they are strbnjr and healthy-. The country ( west of Port Augusta towards the Ga-wler Ranges is n reported to be looking like a. huge .wheat field. The lambing has been below the average, a result , wiiioh is chiefly attributed- to the. lateness "of fhe season and "the ' excessive*cold following the first rains. Probably'

the average for the State will not exceed 70 per cent., which is from 5 to 10 per cent. below the figures for 1908. Making due allowances -for a reduced lambing, the increase of foxes in some districts and of dingoes in the outside country, the pastoral outlook is bright and full of encouragement. It looks at the moment as if producers generally are about to enjoy the fifth or sixth successive" bumper seasons. The cycle. of good years shows no sign of ending yet awhile. Nothing is more certain than that a check will come some day, but' producers are doing theli best to discount bad seasons by making the most of good ones': -