IN-AUSTRALIA.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 814, 11 May 1910, Page 8

IN-AUSTRALIA.

JOTTINGS FROM TESTEEDAY'S ' MAIL. , The .shipment of fruit from Hobart. to the. United Kingdom, including optional cargo for Germany, has., closed , for the season with a total 0f'547,425 bushej'cases,' 1 '/. which: is- 17-1,780 cases., more than were Bent away, last year, and only 32,000 cases ' below the record established in 1904. The season's o£ fruit' to Australia aie also, largely in excess of last year's, amounting Ito 346,000 cases, as against . 120,659 cases. '. ' • ' Agricultural operations in Victoria are. - hampered by continued dry weather, and .''.unless-'the conditions improve shortly a • much smaller area will be put' under crop than' was anticipated. For the same ' ; reason-.'certain-stock foods are hardening in value, and the outlook for the pastoral 1 il.dustry.' is infinitely less promising' than ..it was-two months ago. : • : The" total Victorian wool clip for last season was 76,679,6091b., as against 68,930,2011b.'; for the preceding season, and 79,for 1907-8. The estimated quantity of wool stripped from Victorian 6kins . last season was 6,551,8441b., and the esti- .. mated• quantity of wool on Victorian skins exported was 12,101,3761b., making a total .. of 95,332,8291b.; valued approxi-mately--at .£4,171,000. ■ - • Meat.-, awaiting export is still accumulating in.; Melbourne, owing to the anxiety .of 6tock owners to get rid of their flocks on account of shortage of feed. The Sydney "Herald" ,says fie shortage of in Australia will almost certainly call for .the serious considera- : tion of-the different' Governments before long. .There is difficulty,in obtaining animals for the use of the public . departments, -and a still < greater difficulty in : finding . horses which, will pa® strict' tests. What is said to be one of the largest parcels'of oats ever sold in Victoria is. : reported from Casterton, tho sale covering 25,000 bags. . The West Australian Government Statistician's returns give the wheat harvest at 12.5 bushels, instead of 13.4, the previous estimate. . The area under wheat was 448,579 acres, an increase of 163,564 acres- on • the previous -year; while tlie yield was 5,598,995 bushels, an increase on the previous year of 3,138,172 bushels, an ; '• average. of 12.5 bushels; as against 8.6 bushels .-.last year. The hay Acreage was 100,910 acres, as against 136,745 acres last season, the average being 1.3 tons per acre, as; against .8 ton last year. Wheat .-growing is making rapid strides in New South Wales. Farmers in the Narromiue district are increasing their area under wheat in most instances, and given another good season the yield will fie tremendous. At Eumungerie, on the DubboiCoonambto line, 56,000 bags of . wheat w?re' loaded this season from farms in the: immediate neighbourhood. 'A few years ago .this land, was looked upon as impossible for wheat. - Tho year's egg-laying, competitions in Tasmania under the direction of Mr. R. J. Terry, Government Poultry Expert, ■were- concluded on Saturday. Tho principal prize-winners were:—O. H. Olson, (Scotts'dale district), pen of White Leg- ' horns (six birds to a pen), 1248 eggs, 1; L. S. Hyland (Mount Hicks), White Leghorns,.ll79 eggs, 2; A. G. Genders' White Wyandottes, 1155 eggs, 3; Kivorina Poultry Farm (Hobart), White Leghorns, 1143 eggs; 4. There were 164 birds in the competition. Very welcome.rain fell, at Feilding yesterday; (writes our correspondent),...but not nearly long enough or heavy enough to suit.the countryside. At a saie of Shorthorns submitted by various, breeders a!" Toronto, on February 2 aud 3, the cow Emma 47th sold for .£297, Autumn Queen for .£230, Jlissie of Pine Grove 9th for .£255, Lomonds Mysie for .£SOO, and Alexandria 30th for .EIOO. The ninety-eight females sold at an average of .£63, and thirty-fivo bulls' at one of .£34. ,