THE CORN TRADE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 289, 27 March 1877, Page 2

THE CORN TRADE.

(" Xew Zealand Mail.") The importance of the corn trade of the world is now so universally recognised that it needs only to be mentioned to be at once admitted. The necessity of a regular and constant supply of com is evidenced, if evidence were necessary, by the fact that whenever a scarcity is likely to occur in any part of the world's market, or any of the great sources of supply are likely to fail, even for a time, the whole commercial • equilibrium is at once disturbed, and the disturbance is in exact proportion to the magnitude of the failure, and the area over which it extends. In obedience to a law which regulates the operations of nature, the current of trade immediately sets in to restore the balance, and fill up the void. Let there be a failure of the crops in any extensive area in our Indian Empire (a thing by the way of not unfrequent occurrence), and distant lands and remote countries are affected by it. America, Europe, and even Australia are more or less influenced by. the intelligence that is flashed along thai* wires. It is interesting to observe how much importance was attached to this matter in the early history of our race, when man had not advanced (at least according to authentic records) beyond the nomadic state. The great progenitors of the Israelitish nation were more than once compelled to go to Egypt for a supply of corn when their own stocks ran short by reason of the famine which prevailed in Palestine and the region of Asia Minor. It is true our information respecting this period of the worFs history is of the most meagre kind, and we are left to draw largely on the imagination, or to depend upon circumstantial or inferential evidence to fill up the gaps. It is not our business to enter the domain of the theologian, but viewing things in the light of the antiquary, and supported as we are by our recently acquired scientific knowledge,, we are led to the conclusion that Egypt had attained to a state of comparative civilisation long before the surrounding nations had emerged from a state of primitive barbarism. In this view of the case, it may not be out of place to say that the traditions and heiroglygjuc,'""-%-' cords of that people respecting antiquity, hitherto considered legendai^jr"--

L -Jf he trttthlnl and eonwith l Vi«t. Important and ifta» kni* matter may be. it comes within the province of the Binary newspaper, and we onlyrefer to ■ jj, by way of dlustrating tlm subji-'ct now ■ under discission. With iygypr, as an ancient nati.ui, we nave nothing to tin, but a» the granary of the ancient world it i« interesting to ruser to it. W,- have been led to these remarks* by a consideration of tlie com snppties of the Australian Colonies, and the important part, which t V eW Zealand is «le»tinc«-t to play in providing for tlu: wants of their ever increasing population. To give an instance of the inHiiencu which this Colony already I exercises on the grain markets of Australia, we tuny mention that no a..oner was it known tbre that the crops tntlit* South Murut bad sustained more or less injury | liy tin-, recent floods than the prme of .-rain rose rapidly in >ew .South Wales. The harvest in Victoria just gathered .3, uccordiug t.. the most reliable authorities. Hindi below the average In Jitvenna. (-.no, an important district of New South VVa'h-s. across the Murray, the vi-M of wheat has sadly disappointed the farmers. This state of things has been brought about in those countries by the want of ssaanuable rains. This is an occurrence that has frciiueutty happened in Australia, and is most likely to ..cenr again.. _ Many causes e.onibino to render the rainfall in Australia lilful and uncertain. Tlie absence of great mountain rangis, which in other countries intercept the raiuclomls and compel them to discharge their moisture, is a characteristic feature in Australian, seetieiy. The comparative scarcity of forests. together with a semi-tropical climate, ami the frequent hot winds so fatal to vegetation. The result is that, the annual miantity of corn varhs considerably in most of the L'olonies, and is likely to do so. t'p to the present time. South Australia has taken the lead of all the felonies in agricultural pursuits, although lu-m; average yubl per acre is way small, not being more than seven bushels per aero. Nevertheless she lias been far in advance of her neighbours in the abrogate quantity produced, by reason of the immense j acreage under cuitiva.rion. Tasmania, | .stands nest, in proportion. t.» h<■ r popular j tion and the total area of her surface. iSew Smith VV des, on the otl.ier hand, has jini.l the least attention to agricultural operations, and has been, and is still likely b> be, a la go customer for tli.se products. Victoria buys largely of t. e j Tasuianian producer, and bur. tor th" mo- I uiilal protective duties now in force tea :a\ 1 would do so to a still greater 1 :;rent, to j the evident benefit of loth (.'o'oiu. .;. The j ostensible object for which, tins' duties: wi re impos' d was the protictiou of' na''ivo • industry : but the rial obj, e> tear u-idcr-laid all this was her d. sire for territorial | aggramhs. Un ut. The Victorians thought'. I taat by 'hutting out Tasm m;a:i pro L te < i from •' •■ ■ 'Markets they would cm p. I i. .e j lufti "■ •■. ■■ • sue for auia'g.'i.mai-.on \. ith | Vi ■ : Ia- '' " Tasmauiaiis s' nm ;!"d 1 1. mo b: ■ >eiv > ."isfc till ir .•'.. I Ve','-- Ui.te. a,e ' • i,f too i.eri' !-,d r'sourc-'sare bona; ; ''' >. J,V •'' He'tunes once,uore it, | **. • !"'»ra v-1 I consult .'■. rov.'ti ; ■ ',' :ib:,miolii|]g the ignoble s.-i.'ii'e. | ...■•., ;m \.y si e the l>< guuiiag of i. a- i • amotion of a p.owrf'.d lYc: - j

'l'r,. .1 ir, whoso rain, ia'a'aa:; < \o iai tlirm,. ;i i, t[.v. (Va-ny. Mu.'a has i>.- u sit id of aiie in tin so I'i'luiiin ■* alout laa extraordinary eapain!i:a>a of ?vr-.v /,:;.- land as a home for t!u' aaaarnitaari-t, and. ivs H. ot>ni-i>n>diu:iu;.c ('"!"", - ')'" *■ 'a !, - s t of our judgment «'c Lave adv. eat.al the e\t<'nsl\e adoption of those pursuits v. inch ui'o most likely to conduce to I-hi.! materia! wt:il-l)uiii; s " of" the people. T-> wiai.s has lici'ii iih-i'iidy -said wo but iil.tle- to add. .Suiiiee ih to say thd- we knew of nothing to prevent these :-d-i.uds C'/i>iiv occupying ;>» prominent [>< ••■•;(-n>u the com produeiui* count raa "!; C'.e Smtheru Hiendsphero. Oiiv product! *e soil, <u:i-;;ntt*;o nt climate, wo.''- U" aae'iinr imd reaatlardy of the rainfall, a.ivo us an immense ml ',' H tu'p' ;"o over la;;; I f"l' aanato iH-i!-:IdM-r:i, and jdaaniy indiea.re .air true |.io»iti'.mand IU-sj.iny. A (f<- wok. since Wo drew attention I." a.n idea, l.iao. !* fast <4!iiuinr ;., round in a . ■■ ' ■'•■■ necessity of sijua! Ivrs pa\;n ; us.re a,a ■ ntiou than !i'. rco f>>ri- to hae p. vi" deal of il.rir lauds, Mi o;-d•.■!.• f" i-.i' ■ pl'CVt tllioU of di .-■.i':i«i'!A aim at ; slaa p v. luch (ll'ft supposed to nraii I'l'i'in i. v i ■ i'- ■■■'•■< ■< knar ;ui(t lorn.;-con i.iuu. d fced'a;: a;...;' ;iir,,ame yTutuid. A, stolidy pur-Mama" • f id as p'am l>y our I'lockowncrs, w'eer \ ,r ; «ra■ ■ |:':r.:;- 1 la would lend ui'iatly to liar, as< la .• a-1 l-i - au'u under cultivation, audi , ,' a-: >-. .memv tilt! umuuid. of :v:rioidt:ura ; pr. dm. sva.labte for home, oonsumpti' n >m \; ■ aaa.mai. A, word tu Farmers m■■m ra.il\ 1. !■'■ ■ a v,a close. U' agricultural si H Kee Laa . : : 'air years tn.n.udi t u.4 imytliiuv; mme l-ia.-i iuiotiu-l', it IJ* tllO ni'O.'SSUA' f'.r a. i\ : ,a\;iMiUVSe of iroppiuir. of, ill oiatr \..a;i|a, a, rotation of ci-opM. 'i':• •• -i\t..ry of tlio Doniu'tiuout of A,m-uai!i'tH.v in. V;,--toria has ttcentty [.mt tlu.i forv. a.ni a.,y t prouiiuoutly, and tlu> pooplo aaa. !> <■ >i\u<\-_-; idivu to its ilUPortll-lUH'. fvipi'l'iu.ao las tiui-jlif. ua that land,, how v. a r yv:d, will uol; oi-;,tipiio to product? th ■• sama •aop for a yield per acre : and the tfiiwm i--» ol.vious. The chemical constituent:* of tho a"i!' iuv taken up by the won, cac'i pla.ut tiuau;,' those, and only those, which aiv most suitahtw to its sustenance Fi.a.nd i-liat is via;ulai'ly nut in, witli t!a> aa..uie crop, in coiirso of tiuifi hocouus exhiuistfd of th« iftiCi't-ilU'iits nit ssary i:o produce that pai'fcioidai: kind of trun, Lrfhd viHiuires fcwuuent clianv-e and rest v..r. not distant intin-vals. Wo conclude l>,v ((.uoting: sonio statistics whi-h wo ha.ve at llami. showing tha value of t.laa export trnU< in com of fcho various V'olouivs. In nnm;i[>ally nuuzw \ tßTt>, Tasmania^ .!>«, toVolfi Australia, LI/TtWJr 1874

Tasmania, L 113,305 ; lb7.">, New Zealand, L221.W9. Owing to the difficulty of procuring- retnrns for one year extending over the whole of th* Australasian Colonies we have been t" f*K back on the above.