Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/315

 AGBICIJLTUKB. 267 their produce.* Authentic returns of the yields were not 1^®* obtained, but Collins states that the settlers' farms produced nearly seven thousand bushels ; in some cases the yield had been as much as thirtyfold.t In April, 1794, four hundred acres were sown with wheat for the Govemment,t and it was discovered at the same time that the Indian corn, which had been regarded as an indiwioonu unprofitable crop, had turned out remarkably well. One of the officers of the New South Wales Corps — ^probably Macarthur, who had already become a prosperous farmer — obtained as much as fifty bushels per acre.§ A month later the Commissary had purchased from the settlers 6,163 J bushels of maize, at five shillings per bushel. Grose had every reason to complain of the selfishness of these people, s^* On various pretexts, such as unfavourable seasons, and the reduced ration, they had been allowed provisions from the public stores for more than twelve months beyond the time allowed under the conditions of settlement. I| For this indulgence some return was expected, and when their land, which had been freely granted to them, and on which they had been supported for two years and a half, yielded abundantly, they were asked to assist the Government in procuring food for the convicts, not by giving up their corn for nothing, but by selling it to the Commissary at a fair price. But it was more profitable to use it for brewing or • Collins, Tol. i, p. 324. t " No regular account had been obtained of What these farms had produced ; but it Tras pretty well ascertained, that their crops had yielded at the least nearly seren thousand bushels of wheat. Of the different districts, that of Prospect Hill proved to be the most productive ; some grounds there returned thirtv bushels of wheat for one. Next to the district of Prospect Hill, the Northern Boundary farms were the best % but many of the settlers at the other districts ascribed their miscarriage more to the late periods at which their grounds were sown, than to any poverty in the soil, ana seemed to have no doubt, 16 they could procure seed wheat in proper time (that is, to be in the ground in April) and the season were favourable, of being repaid the expenses which they had been at, and of being enabled to supply themselves and families with grain sufficient for their sustenance without any aid from the public stores." — lb., p. 899.
 * t lb., p. 865. §Ib. il lb., p. 858,