MR. WRIGHT'S FARM.—DEATH OF KELLY.
A pleasant ride we had that afternoon, reviewing flocks and growing crops, and discoursing on the best mode of cultivation. I found that our host preferred the heavy tools of English farmers, to the light, easily managed instruments of the Americans, and I took occasion to point out the superior advantages which the latter possessed; but Mr. Wright was incredulous, and suspicious of my innovations. His land was level, and free from stones, and just suited for light American ploughs, and I pledged my word that a third more work could be done with one, drawn by a yoke of oxen, than could be performed by an English made plough, a huge, clumsy thing, drawn by two span of horses, and requiring three men to attend upon its wants.
I exacted a promise from Mr. Wright, that he would give an American plough a fair trial; and the next time he visited Melbourne he purchased one, and I had the satisfaction, before I left the country, of hearing him say that he was delighted with its performance, and that he had discarded many English farming tools, and substituted American, which were lighter, yet quite strong enough, and saved much labor.
If I had accomplished no other result in Australia than introducing a few articles of the manufacture of the United States, I should think that I was amply compensated for my trouble, convinced as I am, that we have found a market that will consume thousands of dollars worth of agricultural tools, and be paid for in clean gold dust.
Mr. Wright owned fifty thousand acres of land,—not one thousand, but fifty thousand,—and over two thirds of it were devoted to grazing purposes.
For instance, he had five hundred acres sowed to wheat, five hundred to potatoes, and a thousand acres to vegetables, fruits, and oats. The rest of the vast domain was free to the immense herds which were seen scattered over the plains in all directions.
There were ten thousand head of sheep, three thousand head of cattle, and five hundred horses on the farm, and all owned by one man, and that man's wealth increasing every year to an almost fabulous extent. He pointed out the site which he had selected for building an immense barn, to be used for the storage of grain, and to keep a number of his most highly prized horses in during the winter season, and then spoke of the time when the country would be so secure that he could erect a house more in accordance with his ideas of comfort and good taste, and lie down at night and be certain of awaking in the morning and find his herds safe.
The ride and the farmer's conversation were most interesting to me; but I will not inflict it upon the readers, for it is probable that they do not take that interest in agriculture that I do. We returned to the house, and I was more than ever profoundly impressed with the magnitude of Australian farmers' operations.
That evening, while sipping our punch, we hinted that the next morning must see us on our way to Ballarat. Mr. Wright vainly urged us to remain with him for a week, and even offered the inducement of a formidable expedition against the bushrangers in the vicinity of Mount Tarrengower; but we turned deaf ears to the allurements, and promised at some future day to visit him, when our time would not be limited.
We had been absent from the mines a week, and unsettled as affairs were when we left, we knew not what great events had happened. I had considerable property that required looking after, and I supposed Fred would need assistance and advice in case there was a rising of the miners in opposition to the tax, which had for such a length of time caused fierce dissensions and a few bloody collisions.