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are behind the western farmers in average ability. They have been putting their faith in one crop, wheat, for a good many years. When the land is exhausted they pull up stakes and emigrate to Victoria or New South Wales. The rainfall is not sure enough for them to trust to one crop only. It is a land of drouths and floods - some years ten inches of water, some years thirty - the drouth is now prevailing, No rain since Christmas.
Fruit culture pays well. Almost any thing will grow I have seen oranges, lemons, olives, apples, pears, apricots, pomgranites, figs, and bananas growing and all but the bananas were doing well. The most profit is to be made from Grapes. There are a number of large vinyards in this part of the colony with plenty of land suitable for planting, to be had at very low rates, either freehold, or government lease.
There are too many mining ventures being thrown upon this market, for the people to take much interest in the possibilities of agricultural development. Every body seems either anxious to buy winning shares, or to sell those with which they themselves have been "sold". Speculation is in the air.
I went to the races twice and must say I never saw anything like it. The last day, it was estimated that $125000. changed hands through the totalizator and the book makers.
I have met Mr. J. G. O. Tepper and made arrangements to exchange about a hundred Nebraska plants for S.A. ones. If I turn the australian ones over to you, I suppose you will help me make up a satisfactory lot to send him in return, for my duplicates are pretty well culled. I am getting lazy and have done no collecting, but have relapsed into old