THE SEASON IN AUSTRALIA

Otago Witness, Issue 3555, 2 May 1922, Page 9

THE SEASON IN AUSTRALIA

Generally speaking, the need of the moment is a good general rain to supply green feed for lambing ewes. Excepting, possibly, Western Australia and Queensland, the first quarter of the year has been dry, and though in most parts there is a fair to good supply of dry feed, this is no good for the autumn lambing, says '.the Pastoral Review. Within the last day or two fair rains, ranging up to about an inch, have I! -.; doc! over the major portions of New South Wales. Victoria, and southern teo .tn .Australia Put a good deal more is want o. In Xmv South Wales the above describes pretty accurately the position, but. tt may be added that the surface water supplies are running short, and several serious grass fires have occurred. Naturally farming operations have been held up pending’ a good fall of ram. Much the same conditions apply in Victoria, March having been a particularly dry month, while in Queensland the wet season has rapidly tapered off. In parts of the south and west, especially far south-west, the country is very dry, some areas having missed the summer rains. Frosts and cold winds have impeded growth of grass in Tasmania, aud the outlook for the winter is at present only moderate. A good mild April would lie appreciated. Light to moderate falls of rain, as stated above, have fallen in the lower north, central and south-eastern districts of youth Australia, but a really good downpour is wanted. 1 he pastoral country is very dry and short of water, and stock have gone off in condition. in Western Australia conditions, both in the pastoral and agricultural areas, may be said to be on the who!> very favourable. Good though somewhat patchy monsoonal rains have fallen in the north, while in the agricultural districts there have been useful falls for replenishing the water supplies. \ cry little rain has been reported over the wheat belt of eastern Australia during the past month, and the greater part of the country i.s becoming decidedly dry. This is interfering with ploughing where the soil i.s at all inclined to set, and in certain districts is hanging up farming operations generally. On the other hand, it favours burning off in places like the Malice, etc., and will enable farmers there to clean up (heir land. A feature of the weather at the time of writing, early in April, is the warm days and cold nights. This is usually taken to presage a dry spell, but. there a.ro always exceptions to such rules. Anyhow there is no desperate need

for a break, almost any time this month will do. but, of course, the earlier it cornea the better. Conditions are also dry in Western Australia, where a good rain would be welcomed by farmers. Ploughing and preparation of the seed bed are the principal work in hand at present. It is safe to say that year in year out the best crops are obtained from paddocks that have been thorough!'- worked. Crop tests an<j competitions in Victoria and other States have proved this time and again. Another thing crop competitions in the southern States show i.s that a heavy application of superphosphates, even a* much, as 2owt. to the acre, almost always pays handsomely in the shape of increased yields and freedom from take-all and rust. Superphosphates are not a direct preventative, but they promote vigorous growth and make healthy plants that are better able to withstand diseases than those which are weakly and ill nourished. Another uneventful, but withal satisfactory, period in wool circles has to be announced since our last issue, sales progressing steadily, with no outstanding features other than general good clearances than which little remains to be said. There have been the usual fluctuations, with perhaps more discrimination in regard to the best sorts, but, on ihe other hand, the demand for skirtings, pieces, and bellies is, if anything, keener. Lambs, too, if really good and free, have been in the limelight, with resultant good prices. America has not. been quite so insistent, while Japan was somewhat lukewarm in the earlier stages, the great mainstay of the market being tile Home trade, whose support, is largely the key to the position. Probably a fair weight so bought is only passing through to other countries, hut the fact remains that Yorkshire is grumbling—and buying solidly, and the latter counts, ’ihe condition of the season is causing some anxiety in that rain is wanted in most places, and the summer has been so out of joint that it is generally thought the autumn may be a dry one, which will have an effect, not only on the growth of the staple, but on the lambing. [Good rains have fallen in the Commonwealth since the foregoing appeared in The J’astoral Review. —Ag. Ed.]