THE DROUGHT.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7214, 27 November 1888, Page 5

THE DROUGHT.

♦ DETAILS PROM ALL PARTS, A DEPLORABLE PICTURE. RUIN CONFRONTING THE SQUATTERS. GREAT RISE IN PRODUCE. NEW ZEALAND'S OPPORTUNITY. [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Received November 26th, 8 pan. Stdnbx, November 26. There has been a very great advance in prices for feed stuffs, and should the drought continue it is hard to know where to secure supplies unless New Zealand is able to come to the rescue. The make yield in New South Wales, however, is good. The drought is beginning to be felt in dairy-producing districts, where the great trouble is the shortness of water rather than grass. Since the Ist of November the price of factory butter has risen one hundred per cent. Summer fruits are falling off the trees by the bushel, and the jam companies will be seriously affected. At the last stock auctions, the prices realised for cattle showed a decline of 50 per cent. Sheep are i selling at prices down to 2s. The i large purchases which are being made on behalf of Meat Preserving Companies keep the prices better than they would otherwise be. Reports of the failure of crops continue to be received from many districts. In the New England district the harvest has never been so bad for the last forty years. At Bathurst there is no agricultural produce, and a heavy fall of rain is the only hope of saving stock. A movement is on foot at Bourke to petition Government asking for rebate in rentals, otherwise the holdings will be abandoned. At Braidwood the potato crop has failed, while at Btewarruie, Carcoar, Cobar, and Cooma the outlook is gloomy, and serious results are feared. At Burrowa, the pastoral returns are fair, but the agricultural products are altogether bad. Coonabarabran has suffered a bad lambing season, but in other respects stock is doing fairly well. The wheat yield is expected to be good. The losses at Coonamble are heavy, and the outlook is black and depressing. At Cootamundra stock losses have been slight. The country generally looks fairly well, except in cases where the land has been overstocked. The wheat crop, however, is beyond recovery. The Cowra district has suffered only slight losses in stock, but agriculture is ruined. Crookwell so far has not had serious loss, yet the crops are poor. At Deniliquin the outlook is dreary, and prices for produce are rapidly advancing. The wheat yield in the Glen Innes district is expected to average only three or four bushels to the acre. The Goulburn district has suffered very much from bush fires, and enormous loss is reported. The wheat crop has been a complete failure, but stock are doing fairly well. At Grafton, it is expected that the yield of maize will double that of any previous year. The prospects of the late crops are also very good, and the agricultural and pastoral outlook is excellent. At Greenfell, a water famine is imminent, and it is feared the flour mills will be idle for the next twelve months. At Gundagai, the wheat yield is from five to fifteen bushels per acre ; the other produce is a failure. At Hillston, there will be no harvest this year, and the effect on trade is disastrous. Many persons at Inverell have been ruined in consequence of the crops failing. At Kempsey the season is the best experienced for many years, the stock and crops looking splendid. At Kiama drought is making itself felt, aud dairy produce is failing. At Wagga Wagga the crops are only six inches high, and not worth cutting for hay. At Walgett water is scarce, but there is a fair growth of grass, and losses in stock have been slight. It is not expected rain will fall before February. In the Wellington district wheat crops look fairly well. Prices for produce are rising, and ruin is staring the squatters in the face. The prospects at West Maitland are fair, but the Wilcannia district is in a terrible state. One station alone lost 65,000 lambs. Some stations have practically been abandoned, and wool cannot reach the market owing to travelling difficulties. At Yass the potato and hay crops have been a failure. Brisbane, November 26. At Croydon heavy raiu has fallen, and the outlook is now more hopeful. Meat, bread, and potatoes are very high, and fodder at famine price. Maize is selling at 7s ; chaff at 14s per cwt. Adelaide, November 26. The drought is not altogether responsible for the condition of the crops, as in the north districts grasshoppers have been the main cause. In many districts the returns will be high. After supplying local wants, it is estimated there will nearly be five million bushels available for export. From half the wheat area there will be little or no return received. The drought has been most disastrous to squatters in the outside country. Hobaet, November 26. The drought has broken up, and the crops have been saved. Supplies of hay and chaff are still short. Beoeived November 27th, 1.15 a.m. Sydney, November 26. The drought is causing sad havoc among the sheep in the councry districts. A drover was engaged driving a mob of 15,000 sheep from Wilcannia to Hay, but lost 12,000 en route. The markets of New South Wales hav e for many years provided an excellent outlet for New Zealand agricultural produce: a chapter, therefore, in the New South Wales Government Statist's work, re. cently published, showing the requirement of that colony for the year, of prominent neoeasariesof life, has an interest for pro. ducere in this colony. Although the season 1886-87 was unusually proline, in the latter year it waa necessary to import wheat and flour into New South Wales to the

equivalent of 28,000 tons flonr, or 19 per cent, of the totaT requirements. For 1888 the estimated i^ uireme °^ n S be supplied by importations are bushelsof wheat, equivalent to abont 56,000 tons of flour, or nearly 38 per cenc of requirements for . consumption, lne consumption of butter and cheese varies greatly, being directly affected hy the character of the season whichprevaile. There was a large import in 1887, thoußb the season was most bounteous. The quantity of butter imported was 9237cwt,and the amount of home produce 143,805cwt, mating a total of 153,042cwt. New Zealand supplied 5317cwt, Victoria 2000cwt, and South Australia 1412cwt of the butter imported. The amount of cheese made in the colony daring 1887 was abont 51,603cwt, while the quantity imported reached 2840cwt. New Zealand and South Australia supply the larger part of the cheese imported. The amount of potatoes imported In 1887 was 54,140 tons, while the quantity available from the fields of the colony was only 43,808 tons.— Otago Daily Times.