TWO BLIGHTS— WAR & DROUGHT

A fortnight ago the shadow of drought over Australia was an even more disturbing factor in that land of extremes than was the war itself. Within the succeeding week rain fell in varying degrees over several million acres, thus lessening, while not removing, the danger; and the Commonwealth Meteorologist takes tho view that there is still some prospect of a substantial wheat yield. It is not in Australia alone that the question of the wheat harvest ranks with that of the war itself. It is just as important to Britain that she should have wheat to buy as it is to Australia to have wheat to sell. Here in New Zealand the Prime Minister has appealed to farmers to sow all the wheat they can, so that the Motherland, as well as we ourselves, may be fed; and as our surplus for export in any season must always be a mere fraction of what Australia sends away in a normal year, it ', is especially in the interests of the Em- | pire that throughout the period of the i great war Australia's rains shall be ' plentiful and her 'wheat harvest bountil ful. Taking as a basis the report of the Commonwealth Meteorologist, the position in Australia on -20th September was that drought- conditions prevailed over practically the whole of South Australia, northern Victoria, western New South Wale 3, and parts of West Australia. On the other hand, a fair to good season was recorded over nearly the whole of ■ Queensland, eastern and north-eastern New South Wales, southern Victoria, and the south-western portion of West ■ Australia. Riverina, where over a quarter of the wheat of New South Wales is grown, failed to benefit by the rains that fell just prior to the issue of i the Meteorologist's report. Riverina, i however, has protected itself to a large . extent against drought by working a s considerable portion of its land on the . fallowing principle. , Scientific advances like fallowing and . the breeding of drought-resisting wheats > are the bright spote of the dry terror. . They are the good born of evil, and in > many parts of Australia they will mitii gate the effects of a blow that cannot ; wholly be turned aside. Indeed, it is i confidently predicted that there can . never again occur in Australia such an . absolute crop failure as that of 1902-03, [ when the average yield pcx acre of New > South Wales w«6 only 1^ bushel. In [ parts of Victoria and South Australia . the shortage of rain is equal to that of 1902, and in some areas of the latter ( State it is actually greater; but the j Commonwealth Meteorologist, after emI pha&i&ing the better wheats, and the L better farming methods, reports that, , " notwithstanding the excessive dryness . of the season and almost total failure s of wintei rains, the crops in fallowed I and loose-soiled lands are still green. and, with a reasonable anticipation of • good spring rains, there is still some . prospect ol a substantial wheat yield. Little anxiety should be felt concerning ! feed for stock, as there are vast reserves i over the whole of the eastern littoral of , the continent, including southern Vie- ; toria." Intelligent precaution has there- . foTe accomplished much towards caving i the situation, and the partial pinch of , 1914, though only an echo of that of 1902-08, should serve to spread the new , idea* and force the backward farmers into line with scientific agriculturists. £ Drought meaiis a check to diseases and a. recuperation for the soil-, and Aubtraliß already hao tie eyes cm u«xl sea-

son, when a bountiful recompensing harvest may (synchronise with the hour of the Mother Country's greatest need. In 1915, if tho war is prolonged, the yield of European wheat-producing countries may fall very much below the normal; and Canada and Australia, and in a lesser degree New Zealand, will be able to serve the Empire as much by exporting foodstuffs as by sending men. The dairying districte of New South Wales appear to have had liberal rains, and will be able to send to the Mother Country plenty of dairy produce. So will New Zealand, provided that there are sufficient refrigerated steamers over and above the ships held up for transport purposes.