The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-03-06
Australia's Scarcity OF Water.

The greatest difficulty of all this
country is this one Of water. There are
no great rivers suoh as we haye IN
America, and such as there are either
appear in raging torrents or succes-
sion of water-holes. Many of the larger
streams have no outlet, but end in la
goons or disappear by evaporation.
Experiments show that there Is quite
sufficient rainfall to supply the wants
of the country, but it Is 80 irregular
that to depend upon it would be pre-
carious in the extreme. Artesian wells
have been discovered in certain locail-
ties, but they are not numerous enough
to test their practicability. The only
remedy that Mt present appears feasible
Is that of making reservoirs for the
storage of water during the rainy season
for supply during the long droughts.
Necessity is the mother of invention,
and / have no doubt that this or some
other plan will be adopted for irrigat~
ing the land, thus making it capable OF
supporting millions of people. During
the dry season it is extremely hot in the
interior, the thermometer often rising TO
100 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade.
and so hot as to burn the feet into
blisters if not we'll protected. The at
mosphere is extremely dry, otherwise
it would be impossible for human be-
ings to endure ie. Thousands of cattle
and sheep perish during the dry sea-
sons. The only way of keeping them
alive is in driving them to some water
hole where they may drink, while for
food they may subsist on the dry and
parched grasses of the plain, which,
strange to say, have retained all their
nutritive qualities, though withered by
the sun. Shepherds say that sheep, as
well as cattle and horses, will fatten on
this grass, and that they will choose it
in preference to the green grass of the
rainy season. Large droves of horses
and cattle, sleek and fat, may be seen
running wild over these plains in the
dryest seasons, especially In districts
where plentiful supply of water may
be found in water-holes, as above men
toned. These horses are often 30
numerous as to become pest, and as
they are of no use on account Of their
intractability, they are often driven into
corrals and killed by thousands The
timber on these plains is of one genus,
namely, the eucalyptus. There are
many species, but all have the same
general appearance. Generally speak
ing. the trees are sparsely scattered
over the ground, and but very seldom
do we find there thick-set forests as in
America. The eucalyptus does not look
unlike our sycamore. 1t does not shed
it's leaves, which are of somber green
color and very crisp, but annually the
bark dries up into thin shreds and falls
off. So light and dry Is it that the east
wind will carry it away a. our leaves
are driven by the autumn wind. New
bark is formed before the old falls OFF,
and the tree is left quite white and new
looking at the beginning of each year
OF its life. Some of the trees grow TO
enormous height. Indeed, the brigh
est trees in the world are of this genus,
and are to be found in Gippsland, in
the eastern portion of Australia Some
of the tallest are over 800 feet in height.
They grow very straight, and as much
as 100 feet from the ground there is
neither limb nor perceptib,e diminution
of diameter. The lumber from this
trea Is an important article of commerce
and very durable.-Ciepeland Herald.