VICTORIA.

Southland Times, Issue 1159, 5 November 1869, Page 3

VICTORIA.

AGRICULTURAL REPORT. (Daily Telegraph, Oct. 14) The large margin which exists between buyers and sellers of flour has led to a Very limited business beiug done in regard to this commodity during the week, as those who would be inclined to purchase have refrained owing to the price asked by holders of flour, who feel confident of an advance being established so soon as present stocks are exhausted. There is, at any rate, not much chance of any large supply coming into the market within the next few months, so that it is not unlikely that some advance on present prices will be established when buyers come into the market in order to replenish their stocks required for consumption. The present mill quotations are — First-class silk dressed, £l 6 10s ; seconds, £15 10s. The depression in the grain market has been quite as great as in flour, and stocks have been moved off only in small quantity, and with difficulty. The rate charged for hay is still very high, £7 10a. to £9 being the market quotation. The old crop has nearly run out, and the new hay will soon be coming forward. Around Melbourne the bay crop will be very | indifferent, owing to much of it having been almost destroyed before the arrival of the late rains ; but with the great facilities for carriage which now exist in all parts of the colony, we are not dependent upon our outlying districts for a supply. Large quantities come from Ballarat and other parts of the country, and we are glad to learn that there ia every prospect of a good hay harvest. Good oaten straw is also much used for feeding purposes. ' Agricultural pursuits are being carried on with vigor at this season of the year, and, where the land has been partially dried, the operation of sowing has been carried on ; but as the welcome rain has penetrated every nook and corner of the country, the ground has as yet scarcely had time to get over the thorough saturating it has had, During the last few days the showers have been moderate, and the rain has been relieved by frequent glimpses of warm sunshine. Altogether the weather has been most favorable, and it will serve to make everything grow splendidly; People may talk about the rain being too late to save some of the crops, but it is nothing of the kind. The welcome downpour arrived in good time; all the growing crops worth saving will be saved. This will be the finest oat season we have had for years. The fields of crops are everywhere looking beautiful, and when the oat harvest arrives there will be an abundance of this description of feed. There is this year a very large, extent of land under cultivation all over the colony, owing to the numerous allotments taken up by selectors under the Land Act. Most of the small farmers have laid down their lands in wheat and oats, and in many instances neglected to provide root crops for their own farm purposes. Tt is to be hoped the agricultural statistics will be collected before long. It is now getting late in the year, and the matter is only being talked about. The Bbows of the various agricultural societies are coming fast and thick upon us . This week the Ballarat society nas held its exhibition, and for a report of the proceedings we refer our readers to another part of our issue. Further on in the month we shall have the Geelong and Western District Agricultural and Horticultural Society's annual exhibition, all entries for which must be made on Monday next, the 18th inst. On the 3rd November the Polwarth and South Grenville Exhibition is to be held at Colac. The entries for this Bhow have to be made on or before Saturday, 30th inst. Then later on, in November, comes the Grand National Show at Kyneton. This promises to be a really good exhibition, and no doubt the district will furnish gome good Clydesdales and excellent stock. The entries in the various departments are likely to be numerous, and a keen competition will take place, both for the Board's prizes and for those offered by the society. Shearing operations are being actively carried on in many parts of the colony. The bountiful rainfall will enable the squatters to ivash and prepare their wool, where they otherwise would have had to send it for sale in the grease. Since attention has been directed at home to the manner in which most of the wool has been prepared for the home market, additional pains have been taken to improve the quality. A small quantity of the earl; clip has already reached town, and at the sales which have been held, satisfactory prices have been obtained. It is not unlikely that this year many of the growers will prefer to realise in the colony instead of shipping direct. The rams have been as beneficial to the squatter as they have been to the farmer. There ib now a prospect of plenty of grass, and flock-owners who a short time ago would have almost given their sheep away in hundreds, through the want of pasturage, are not so ready to part with them now there is a chance of feed being; plentiful ; but still many of the stations are already overstocked, and the squatter may well cull his flocks, and keep nothing but the best woolled of his number. The boiling-down establishments haze absorbed hundreds of surplus sheep which have been good for nothing eke after the wool has been removed but the melting pot. The various meat-preserving companies should be in a position to relieve the squatter of some of his fat stock, but they can have nothing to say to inferior and poor sheep.