RECORD AUSTRALIAN CROP

Evening Star, Issue 15907, 13 September 1915, Page 8

RECORD AUSTRALIAN CROP

When the recent big drought struck most of Australia, Queensland largely escaped. Now, however, the Northern State is about the one really dry spot on the island continent. According to the Federal Prime Minister, "the present outlook over the Commonwealth is in general very favorable, except as regards the greater part of Queensland, where rains have been much below the normal since the beginning of the year. With that exception, 6ince the break in the dry spell in May last, good rains have faden at frequent intervals throughout all the settled agricultural areas. The prospects of the wheat crop for the coming season are highly satisfactory. A large increase in area is reported in all the States. The total area is reported to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 13,500,000 acres. With favorable weatheif conditions to the end of the harvest a record crop seems probable. In anticipation of a very considerable exportable surplus of wheat and other produce, the Commonwealth Government, acting in cooperation with the State Governments, are now actively engaged in securing freights for its transports to the markets of the world, and every effort is being made to enable the producers of Australia to profitably dispose of their products in the world's markets."