" A
population not numbering more than 277,579 souls imported largely its
breadstuffs from South America and other foreign countries. It is now
well known that in all divisions of the colony--north, south, or
west--there are as rich wheat lands as in any part of the world; but
then the mass of the population were densely ignorant of the true
character of the country, and those who knew better, were in too many
instances personally interested in keeping them ignorant. The stories
that were told of the fruitless endeavours of industrious men to obtain
patches of land for a freehold home under the Order-in-Council seem, to
the present generation, like cruel bits of romance.
APPENDIX TO EVIDENCE OF MR. J. ROBERTSON (before Select Committee.)
On entering upon the subject under enquiry by the Committee, it is my
purpose to assume that the state of agriculture in general, and of wheat
culture in particular in the colony, is exceedingly unsatisfactory, and,
if not absolutely declining instead of progressing, is at least so with
reference to population.
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