SIGNS OF PROGRESS.

[N no part of the British Empire has there been more rapid growth in all the essential elements of civilization and national prosperity than in Australasia.

GROWTH OF POPULATION FROM 1873 TO 1885.

An addition of over a million and a quarter, i.e., over fifty per cent., in twelve years to the population of a country so young as Australasia must be regarded as very satisfactory.

With very rare exceptions this increase, as well as the previous population, is English-speaking, and solidly British. The foreigner has not yet found his way to Australasia to any great extent.

ANNUAL TRADE, INCLUDING BOTH IMPORTS AND EXPORTS, FROM 1873 TO 1885.

The above figures represent a growth of trade that is most encouraging. It is true that the balance of trade is as yet on the wrong side, the imports in all the colonies considerably exceeding the exports. There has been also a large increase of public debt in each colony. As an offset to both there are very extensive internal improvements, not so much of an unremunerative sort as arsenals, fortifications and the like, but railways, water-works, telegraphic and telephonic systems, which are principally in the hands of the Government, and are becoming, in some of the colonies at least, very remunerative.

Victoria could at any time, if she wished, dispose of her railways in the English market and wipe out at

once her colonial debt. She would not, however, consider that a profitable transaction.

New lines are being built. There are, at the time of this writing, not less than 10,000 miles in operation. The telegraph system has grown in proportion to the growth of the railway system.

CULTIVATION OF THE SOIL.

If we turn to the cultivation of the land, and cereals and animal production, we find quite as rapid an increase.

The total number of acres under cultivation in all the colonies in 1873 was 3,306,923, while in 1885 we find the number of cultivated acres, is 8,028,551, an increase of nearly five millions in twelve years.

The average yield per acre is not equal to that of Canada. This is partly to be accounted for by the lack of rain through much of the year.

Taking the whole country, I do not think the average acre is equal in productive strength to that of Canada. There are portions of Victoria, however, especially in the south-west, which probably cannot be surpassed in the whole world for strength of soil. The continuous yield of that part of the colony is something enormous, and I dare say the same may be said of portions of other colonies. I am inclined to think, however, that the Canadian soil is much superior, taking into account the whole territory.

On the other hand, the mildness of the climate gives the Australian farmer the advantage in the longer ploughing season, enabling him to cultivate a much larger acreage, as there is no frost to interfere with his tillage

The mode of farming in Australia differs very much from that of the Old World. A farmer with the aid of only one hired man, except for a few days in harvest time, can put in and harvest 200 or, in some instances, 300 acres in a season. As there is no necessity for housing stock, the straw is not gathered. The grain is taken by means of strippers, and the ploughing is largely done by gang ploughs. This will explain why

it is that an average yield of six or seven bushels per acre pays expenses and yields a profit besides.

The extensive fields of wheat as seen in Australia in October and November, reaching over the wide plains or undulating uplands, constitute one of the interesting sights of the country.

The grain ripens the latter part of November and early part of December, and the rapidity with which it ripens in that dry climate taxes the fullest capacity of the farmer and his family while the harvest operations last.

In 1873 Australasia produced 181 millions of bushels of wheat, and in 1885 the yield had risen to 324 millions. The yield of potatoes in the latter year amounted to 410,000 tons, and of hay, 1,064,000 tons. Hay and chaff in Australia are two things entirely different from what is meant by these words with us. Hay is not cured English or native grass. It is wheat or oats, and sometimes other grains, but principally these, harvested just before ripe, when the grain is about full grown, but while the husk is still firm enough to retain its hold upon the grain. It is usually bound into sheaves and left in the field till thoroughly dried, then stacked and later on is chopped fine with a “cutting box" and put into bags; this fine-cut, unthreshed grain is called "chaff." Almost