Page. FIG. 6. Binder taking off a heavy crop of oats at Bacchus Marsh, Victoria 8. Five-furrow stump-jump moldboard bridle-draft plow (rear bottom 9. Stump-jump in operation. 78 79 84 85 10. Four-furrow stump-jump disk plow, spring release (third disk jumping), made in Australia. 86 11. Fifteen-furrow stump-jump fallowing plow, spring release, made in Australia... 87 12. Four-furrow riding plow, made in Australia. 13. Walking plow, made in Australia. 89 91 14. Two-furrow orchard plow, made in Canada.. 92 16. Overlap disk harrow, made in Australia.. 15. Seventeen-tooth, five-section, spring-tooth harrow, made in Canada....... 17. One-way disk cultivator, made in Australia... 94 96 97 18. 13 by 7 hoe fertilizer and grain drill, made in Australia. 99 24. Three-furrow moldboard plow, made in New Zealand.. LETTER OF SUBMITTAL. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE, Washington, May 1, 1918. SIR: There is submitted herewith a report on the markets for agricultural implements and machinery in Australia and New Zealand, by Commercial Agent Juan Homs. This is the second and final monograph resulting from Mr. Homs's investigation in foreign countries, the previous one (Special Agents Series No. 146) having covered the Union of South Africa, Rhodesia, and certain of the less important regions in that part of the world. Following the uniform plan outlined for this commercial survey, the present book takes up topography, climate and rainfall, soil conditions, the character of the population, the labor situation, the activities in agricultural education, and, in the main, all those aspects of the subject that have even an indirect bearing on the market for farm equipment. There is a discussion of all the leading crops and the means employed to produce them. Trade methods are considered and appropriate recommendations made. Statistics of imports are presented, an account is given of the domestic manufacture of agricultural equipment, and the general conditions in the implement trade are covered in such a way as to indicate the degree of opportunity that exists for increased sales of American goods. There is a detailed description of the market for each particular line, and Mr. Homs gives special attention to the machines (such as stump-jump implements) that have been devised and developed in Australia and New Zealand to meet specific local needs. It is believed that American manufacturers who contemplate a more vigorous campaign in these markets should derive much valuable information from this book. Respectfully, To Hon. WILLIAM C. REDFIELD, B. S. CUTLER, Chief of Bureau. Secretary of Commerce. 7 AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY IN AUSTRALIA AND The Australian Commonwealth, which comprises the island continent of Australia and the island of Tasmania, is situated in the Southern Hemisphere, between longitudes 113° 9' and 153° 39′ E. Its northern limit is latitude 10° 41' S. (corresponding to Greytown, Nicaragua, in the Northern Hemisphere); the southern limit of the continent is 39° 8' S. (corresponding to Indianapolis); including Tasmania the Commonwealth extends to 43° 39' S. (corresponding to Bay City, Mich.). On the west it is bounded by the Indian Ocean, on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the north by the Timor and Arafura Seas and Torres Strait, and on the south by the Southern Ocean and Bass Strait. Australia is a self-governing British Dominion, formed on January 1, 1901. It is composed of six States and two Territories, with an area and estimated population, at the end of 1914, as follows: Population of capital. 205, 443 122, 400 40,000 600 1,000 1,949,954 1 Melbourne is still the seat of the Federal Government, but this will eventually be transferred to Canberra, where the construction of official buildings, private dwellings, etc., for the purpose is well under way. The area of Australia is practically equal to that of the United States, exclusive of Alaska. The total length of its coast line is approximately 12,000 miles, which gives an idea of the enormous distances between various places in the country. British New Guinea, although not included in it, is under the administration of the Commonwealth. Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands are also small dependencies of Australia. |