THE DROUGHT IN NEW SOUTH WALES. The Stock Routes Barren,

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 321, 1 December 1888, Page 6

THE DROUGHT IN NEW SOUTH WALES. The Stock Routes Barren,

An AJbury despatch says :—" The continued dry weather is everywhere manifesting its influence on crops and herbage, and stock are reported to, be in a wretched condition. , Large drafts ,of sheep ;i P r,om the back CQuncry continue to come for-

ward,, but even Holders of country in move favoured localities are afraid to buy, and as a last resource pheep arc being, taken to ' thb mountainous country at the head of the Murray. It is reported that Mr Robert Rand, of Mahonga station, has had 25;000 old sheep slaughtered in order to preserve tho herbage for more valuable stock. Other owners will probably have to tollow his example. Water is becoming scarce in several parts of this district, and there is positively no grass on any of the stock routes Crops grown even under the most favourable circumstances ars past redemption, and the losses among the poorer class of farmers will be great. Horse feed is rising rapidly in price, and it is expected there will be a. great demand for chaff from Victoria by stock owners in tho Hay and Narandera districts. The recent outbreak of pleuro-pncumonia in the Jindera distiuct, by which one owner sustained severe loss of stock, is proved to have been communicated by an infected mob of store cuttle from Queensland. This mob was not allowed to cro&p at Wodonga owing to the presence of pleiuo among them, but is supposed to have crossed the river at Wagra, as the mob are now reported in Victorian territory."'