SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2647, 7 December 1904, Page 8

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Adelaide, November 10. | October saved the situation. As reported ja. month ago, September proved pheno- ; menaily dry, the mean temperature- at Ade- ! laide having been 1.9 below the .general I aveage of 47 years! •. The rainfall "was ■ sadly deficient throughout the farming dis- \ tricte, and in consequence the esreal crops | began to go "off" at a rapid 1 rate. Early I in October the cuMock became more gloomy | every day, and) it looked as if the worst fears would ba realised. On October 12 rain set in, and continued for two days, and as these showers were well distributed 1 , they had a wonderful influence for good. ! A week later one of the worst storms ever : experienced! swept the State from the I north. The tornado carried! with it clouds i of dust, so that the sun was obscured, and' i lights had to be used' at midday. For- [ tunately, a splendid downpour followed, I tt n j' ,°°, ming on t0 P of the moisture which I had fallen the previous week, tha country I received a good soaking. During the last j fortnight the weather has been alternately : showery and cool, and nothing has hapi'pened! to check the growth of plant life, j So far as the pastoral country is oon- ■ cerned, the season has been a grand one. Feed and water are plentiful everywhere. A representative of the Register has recently returned from a trip along the northwest track as far as Tarcoola. Of that part of the country he writes:— "lt was rare good fortune to be given the opportunity of a. trip through the pastoral country north- west of Port Augusta when ifc is looking better than at any time the oldest stock people can recall. That was the note sounded with pleasant monotony all along the track, which, with zigz&gging, measures 290 miles from Porfc Augusta to Tarooola. It practically began with spear-grass up to the bellies of the horses, and ended with a dairy on the distant goldfield — a field which may yet prove 'au untold blessing to South Australia." I Practically the same description could he . written of the northern and north-eastern ' pastoral country, where splendid rains have ! fallen at short intexvals throughout the ] year. All the stock routes are open, and i drover 3 have no difficulty so far as feed and water are concerned. The lambing has been exceptionally good, while in tho cattle country the herds are steadily iiw . creasing.

9 ne °* the test authorities in the State fcas estimated "that the wool clip throughout -South Australia this year has been equal to at least lib of wcol per sheep better than last year. Shearing has been conducted in the most favourable circumstances, and the quality Has commended itself _ to foreign buyers. Far more attention is now paid to classing than in former years, thanks very largely to the efforts of Mr Jeffrey, of the School of Mines, and the co-operation of .leading growers and -woolbrokera. Mr Jeffrey has a num»&r of students under his control, and batches of these are sent to different sheds to supervise the wool-classing. In connection witb. this practical work examinations • are held at different stations) and the students are tested in all the duties appertaining to wool-classing from the time the" fleece is^ shorn until it is packed in^ the bale. These examinations are conducted by prominent growers and wool experts, and the effect" of this new departure is to generally improve the "get-up" of the wool. A leading foreign buyer recently made the state-, inent that the South Australian wool is "better classed than that of any of the, other States." The wool, sales are being well patronised by growers," and 1 increasing quantities~~are being handled. There has i>?en a very, steady demand on the part of foreign buyers, and, ' igenerally ' speaking, prices nave* been well .up to. expectations. '- Last year's wheat crop produced 1 i3,180,_Q00 bushels, and; according to 'a preharvest estiriiate made' by the Register* a few days ago, the production, this year .is expected to reach a total of 13,300,000.. The area tinder cultivation' was increased: tSis year,anid it is expected "that 1,900,000 acres will be reaped, and that the average will be approximately J\ bushels per acre. If such a result , is obtained, I the farmers, at the ' present" price of wheat, should do very very well. It is estimated, that the grain crop should be 'worth nearly two and a-half millions' sterling to South Australia this year. ~ . ~ "