The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-07-12
from the London Times.
The Progress of Australia.

The increase in the produce of wheat, bar
ley, peas, beans millet and sorghum is very
remarkable, although there is a falling off in
the amount of the oat crops. The total pro
duce of wheat throughout the counties and
the unsettled districts in the year ending the
31st of March, 1866 was 3,503,439 bushels,
against 1898, 1878 bushels in the year 1865,
showing an increase of GOA, 061 bushels in
1866 compared with the preceding year. In
1866 the produce of barley was 80, 142
bushels, against 124, $40 bushels in 1865,
showing an increase in 1866 of 1928 bush
els. The amount of peas, beans, millet and
sorghum grown for 1866 was 5966S bushels
against a total of Al ,139 bushels for 1866
There is an increase also, although not very
considerable, in the produce of maize, rye
and bere for 1866, compared with the pro-
duce of 1865. In oats there isa considerable
falling off, the produce for the year ending
the 31st of March, 1866, having been 1904
AS bushels, while for the year ending the
31st of March, 1866. the produce was only
2,246 us bushels, showing falling off in
the latter year of All, $50 bushels. Taking
the aggregates of all the crops for both years
there is an increase for 1866 over 1865 of l.
202,9s2 bushels. In green crops, exclusive
of market and kitchen gardens, we find in
potatoes an increase of 2O,272 tons, the pro-
duce of 1866 being so, 100 tons, while the pro-
duce of 1865 is only 59,S2 tons. In turnips
the produce in 1865 was 500 tons, and in
1865 Al tons, showing a falling off of 155
tons. In mangold-wurzel there is a large in
crease, the crops of 1865 amounting to 5,7S2
tons, while the crops of 1865 We're II ,542
giving an increase of 6.760 tons. The hay
crop for 1865 was 97,731 tons, but for this
year it is oniy-probably owing to the
drought, which little affected cereals-92 615
tons, being falling off of SIG tons. The
crops OF onions and tobacco are also less for
1866 than for 1865, The number of vines
returned in 1866 are fewer than in 1865, the
number in 1866 being 7,144 4O7, and in 1865
$3.50, 40S, and yet the produce of grapes for
this year is in excess of the produce of last
year by 1O,349 cwt.-the produce for 1866
being 36,536 cwt, while that of 1866 was
only %, 1877 cwt. The wine produced in 1866
is also much larger in quantity than 1866
1866 giving US 1877 400 gallons, while 1865
afforded only 1904 gallons.
The area under wheat in 1865 was 125, 04O
acres; In 1866, 17S, S15 acres; under oats, in
1865, IA, BOB acres and in 1866 1O1, sos
acres. Under potatoes there were, in 1865,
81 ,4sS acres. Under hay there were in 1865
only S5, 1O6 acres, whereas in 1866 the area
under hay is returned as 96,914 acres, plainly
showing that the falling off in the hav crop
of 1866, just mentioned, is attributable to
drought, and not to diminished cultivation
The average produce per acre of wheat was,
in 1865, 15.2 bushels and in 1866, 1915 bush
els ; of oats in 1865, 1877 bushels, and in 1866
% bushels; of potatoes, in 1865, 1.9 ton per
acre. and in 1885, 2.5 tons. Of hay, in 1866,
IL ton per acre, and in 1865 1 ton. The
above result shows that the colony must very
soon be entirely independent of all imported
produce of the descriptions here referred to.
The larger portion of our wine is consumed
within our own colony. 1t is seldom kent
until 1t is OF proper age, nor have any great
pains been as yet taken by the makers to
adapt the article to those English paIates
which have been made fastidious and exac-
ting by the finer wines of the continent of
Europe. But Australian thirst deals merci-
fully with small defects in liquor. Like the
Span1ards, who have a saying that there is
better wine, and there is worse wine. but no
such thing as bad wine, our people show the
most 1nduigent appreciation of every form
and flavor OF the juice of the grape That
Victoria will soon largely export wine seems
absolutely certain. Both companies and in
dlViduals are giving the closest attention to
the manufacture, and the quality is improv-
ing from year to year.
The LAUGH OF WOMEN. woman has
no natural gift more bewitching than sweet
laugh. 1t Is like the sound of flutes on the
water: IL leaps from her in clear, spark
ing rlll and the heart that hears it feels as
II oathed IN the cool exhilarating SPRING
Have you ever pursued an unseen fugitive
through trees, led on by a fairy laugh0now
Z h mere, now there, now lost, now found9 We
nave and we are pursuing that wandering
voice to this day.
sometimes it comes to us in the midst Of
1a care, or sorrow, or irksome business and
then we turn away and listen. and boar !,
ringing in the room like silver bell with
power to scare away the evil spirit O
How much we owe to that sweet lapob
1T turns prose to poetry lit filings flowers. q
sunshine over the darkness of the wood !,
which we are travelling; it touches with liob
even our sleep, which is no more than ib
image of death, but is consumed wit
dreams that are the shadows of immortalit1
Kiss-A receipt given on paying your &C
dresses
The attempt to read many books ofte
ends in thoroughly reading none.