eaking, is South Australia more favoured than those of her
immediate neighbours in the quality of her soil. Van Diemen's Land is the
granary of the southern seas, and there is unquestionably a very great
proportion of the very best soil in the Port Phillip district.
Nevertheless that of South Australia has yielded a finer and a heavier
grain than has ever been produced in those colonies, but the reason of
this is, that with a naturally rich soil to work upon, the agriculturists
of South Australia have spared no pains in cultivating their lands, but
there can be no doubt that with equal care and attention both the
Vandemonians and the settlers of Port Phillip would produce an equally
fine sample. The farmers of South Australia have enhanced the value of
their colony by their energy and skill in cultivating it, and can boast
of having sent the finest sample of wheat to England that has ever been
exhibited in her market.

South Australia, in its length and breadth, contains about 300,000 square
miles, or in round numbers more than 190,000,000 acres. The limits of
location, however, do not exceed 4000 miles, or 7,000,000 acres. In this
area, however, a great portion of desert country is included, or such, at
least, as at the present moment is considered so. Of the more available
land, 470,000 acres have been purchased, but the extent of country
occupied by sheep and cattle stations is not known.

It may be necessary here to observe, that the returns of the land under
cultivation last year were published after I left the colony; but the
comparison between the two previous years will shew the increase and
decrease of the different grains, sufficiently to establish the progress
of agricultural pursuits in the colony. In the year 1845, the number of
acres of wheat sown was 18,848. In 1846 it was 26,135. Of barley, there
were in the former year 4,342 acres, in the latter only 3,490. Of oats,
there were 1,485 in the first year, which, in 1846, increased to 1,963.
It would thus appear, that the increase of cultivated land in the course
of one year amounted to between 6000 and 7000 acres, and that more than
400 agriculturists were added to the list of landed proprietors. The
necessary consequence of such extensive farming operations is that the
produce far exceeds the wants of the settlers, and that there is a
considerable surplus for exportation; the price of the best flour being
from 12 pounds to 13 pounds per ton, whereas for a