Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/313

 265 THE PROGRESS OF AGRICULTURK Oeose's despatches contain only information of a general 1708 character concerning the progress of cultivation. We read ^^Jjj^ in them of the snccess of the Hawkesbury settlers, of the difficulties caused by drought, and of the production of sufficient maize and wheat to make the colony almost inde- pendent of outside sources for its supply of bread. But very little is to be found concerning the land in cultivation or the produce of the fields. The deficiency is supplied to a large extent by Collins, who sketches the progress of Acoonntsby agriculture in a desultory way. The prospects in 179&-94 ^ were alternately good and bad, owing to climatic conditions. The rain which fell in April, 1793, and which, followed a period of drought, was, according to Collins, '^ too late to save the Indian com."* Owing to this failure it was rashly assumed that maize was unprofitable. It was decided, therefore, to make wheat the priiicipal crop^ and as large a qq^ quantity of this grajn was sown as the resources of the whSt^ ^ settlement allowed.t It was soon discovered, however, that the consequences of a dry season were not to be overcome by a change of cereal. In August the wheat looked yellow • CoUiM, vol. i, p. 284. t '* The principallabonr in hand at Sydney at this time was what the build- ing of the barracks occasioned ; and at the other settlements the people were chiefly employed in getting into the ground the grain for the ensuing season, and in preparing for sowing the maize. This article of subsistence having in the late season proved very unprofitable, the average quantity being not more than six bushels per acre on the whole, the Lieutenant>Gx>vemor deter- mined to sow with wheat as much of the public grounds as he could ; and every settler who chose to apply was permitted to draw as much wheat from the public granary as his ground required, proper care being iaken to insure its being applied solely to that use." — lb., p. 287.