THE VICTORIAN WHEAT HARVEST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4098, 9 June 1881, Page 3

THE VICTORIAN WHEAT HARVEST.

_+ l The Australasian writes : — " After the greater portion of our wheat orop has been sent away, the country is permitted to learn that it haß grown a muoh smaller bulk than was anticipated, and that it is almost certain that the Colony will have to import from South Australia whoat for its own consumption. Each year the imperative necessity for earlier information regarding the prospects of the harvest has become more pronounced. To gratify the public desire tor such knowledge, many of the country journals have been accustomed to report on their respective districts before harvest, aud a metropolitan journal has ventured into the region of prophecy, but with singularly unhappy results. We now know from the amount of wheat exported that no appreciable balance remained on hand last year, that the Go.'crnmont returns, whose accuracy was challenged, were virtually correct, and thab our contemporary's wero proportionately wrong. On tho present occasion the difference between our contemporary's estimate and the actual results is ludicrously wide. On January 15, 1881, the following appeared in liis columns : — ' Total yield, 10,961,000 bushels ; homo requirements, 6,000,000 bushels ; surplus, _,961,0J0 bushels. As this will givo, after making an unusually liberal allowance for foul and shrivelled grain, an exportable surplus of about 125,000 tonß, aud as thore are still considerable stocks of Jaßt year's breads Luffs in hand, a vigorous export trade is much required to relievo tho markot, and notwithstanding tho low average of the crops in many districts, such a trade may be freely carried on without fear of exhausting our supplion ! ' That iv the courso of less than four months we have by exporting only some 85,000 tons left oursohvs with loss whrat. Ihnn wo noed for our own consumption, is the mo»t practical comment that can be offered on tho value of our contemporary's estimate At tho same time that our readers learn the utter worthlessness of estimates baeod on a gallop through the principal wheat-growing areas, thoir anxiety will be vastly quickonod for accurate information at an carlior soason than that at which it is now presonted by the Government statist. It is clear tbat a change will havo to be made in the direction oi tho method adopted in tho United States of America, where monthly reports on the growing crops aro published by tin- flatistical department."