NEW SOUTH WALES.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 6, 9 February 1867, Page 1 (Supplement)

NEW SOUTH WALES.

DROUGHT THROUGHOUT THE

COLONY.

By the arrival at Wellington of the Panama mail steamer Kaikoura we have received flies of the “Sydney Morning Herald ” up to the 39th January, from which we extract the following 1 :

During the time that has elapsed since the publication of our last monthly summary the weather has been exceedingly hot and dry. People are beginning to renew their oft repeated lamentations anent the evil effects of drought. Even the residents of the metropolis have been frightened by the same bugbear, and have entertained gloomy forebodings respecting the failure of their water supply. The evils anticipated, however, are not likely to be realised, and the Erophetic warnings of the discontented ave come to naught. No doubt a continuance for a few more weeks of the dry weather would produce serious injury, and in view of that contingency the utmoot care and economy in the husbanding of our water stores has been considered necessary. The water is shut oif from the city for eleven hours every night, and every precaution taken to prevent waste. Late accounts from the country are ■not cheerful. Complaints as to the want of rain, and the baneful effects ot the intense heat, reach us from every quarter. All kinds of vegetation are parched up. The pasturage is withered, and affords scarce enough to keep stock alive. The market gardens are profitless; and in some parts of the country even the vines —which hear drought better than anything else—have greatly suffered. Fortunately for the farmers, the crops are nearly all garnered, and per consequence very little damage can be done to them. The harvest, moreover, has been bountiful, the yield, in the most productive places, averaging twenty-five bushels to the acre.

The Hunter River district has suffered severely from intense heat, the maize being almost ruined. In the vicinity of Dungog the country is in a most miserably parched condition. The heat there is described as being somethingterrific, and the grass is so withered that bush fires are continual. There is no feed for stock, the cattle and horses look like walking skeletons, and are dying in considerable numbers from sheer starvation. The farmers in this locality are „now engaged in threshing cut thtir wheat, and the yield is better than was expected, averaging fourteen or sixteen bushels to the acre. The tobacco crops may he regarded as a failure. All prospects of an early growth have been destroyed, and there is but a poor chance -of a late one.

On the Manning' River the drought is causing great alarm, and the description ■»f the state of matters in that quarter is indeed sufficiently discouraging. The drought is the principal topic of conversation among the farmers there, and at the same time their chief terror. The "asosct of the country is gloomy in the extreme. The corn crops are shrivelled, the supplies of v/ater alarmingly meagre, the horse and bullock teams unfit for work, and stock generally in a starving condition. The vineyards will not yield one-fourth of their usual crop, and what ■they do produce will he very inferior. Wellington Government Debentures. —Provincial Government of Wellington, New Zealand, Debentures, have realised 101 and interest, and are attracting the attention of capitalists; they hear 10 per cent, interest, payable half;yearly at, the Bank of New South Wales, Sydney, and are redeemable in July, 1871. The London quotations by the last, mail for their 8 per cents, was 103 ?to 104, and as these are 10 per cents., the present is a favorable opporunity for securing a safe and remunerative investment.

Wool.—The clip of wool this year was •very good, and has nearly ail been sent to market. There are still, in some parts of the country, the August lambs to shear, and on the Lower Murrumhidgee the wool is now being taken off them. The grass seed has been very troublesome, and in many instances deteriorates very much the value of the fleece.

MELBOURNE, Latest Telegrams to the “S. M. Herald” of die 30th January.:— Monday, Jan. 38, 6 p.m. On Saturday, the thermometer stood -at 103 in the shade, and 131 in the sun ■ -but the weather has changed since yes-

terday ; there was heavy rain, with S.W. wind, all right. The Denis Brundoit, from Chili 14th November, brings 600 tons wheat; she

reports nothing loading for the colonies. There is nothing doing in flour. Sales of Chilian wheat are reported at 4s. 6d. Californian has also been disposed of, but the price is withheld. Maize is firm at 4s. 6d.

ADELAIDE. Monday, 6 p.m. Dr. Gething has returned from Streaky Bay, and reports that the smallpox had recently existed amonst the natives there, but has now passed away. There is not much doing in wheat; price firm at 4s. 2d. Flour, 10s. to 11s.

HAWKES’ BAY. The ‘ Hawkes’ Bay Herald’ of January 29, in its remarks on the races which are advertised to take place in that Province on the sth, 6th and 7th March states:—“ The Jockey Club, we understand head the list of subscriptions with a sum of £T00 ; the Cup money is also the gift of the club. A further sum of £3OO will, however be required to enable the stewards to carry out the programme as advertised ; but we have no doubt the Hawkes’ Bay public will liberally respond to the call made upon them. The number of Auckland horses here in training for the meeting, with the prospect of a further addition to their number from Wanganui, shews that our meetings are beginning to attract attention in the neighboring provinces.”