Victoria, least of the Australian colonies, had until recently the greatest population (June 1897,

Victoria, least of the Australian colonies, had until recently the greatest population (June 1897, 1 177 304) and also the greatest trade. In both relations, however, it is surpassed now by the New Southern Wales. Victoria owed its last advantage to its gold manufacture. Gold was revealed in a colony in 1851, and for many years production of a precious mineral made not less than 50 000 000$ in a year. Existing production of gold in Victoria, however, makes only 10 000 000$ in a year. Richer, however, than gold mines of Victoria abundance of its soil. The soil most part is extremely fertile - with one of the finest soils having fruit in the world. The wood vegetation of the country is magnificent. Trees of thirty foots in diameter raise to height of 200 foots without a unique lateral branch, and then 100 foots to on 200 foots above still. Pear trees grow to height of eight-ten foots, with trunks of three foots in diameter. But for the present wool growth, wheat lifting, and grapevine growth - the basic agricultural employment of people. The basic agricultural export - 25,000,000$ a wool value in a year. But the considerable part of it arrives from the New Southern Wales. Sheep held number 15 000 000, horned livestock 2 000 000. But the colony still remains mainly extracting community. The five ninth population live in cities. Nevertheless there are a few cities, and two fifth whole population, live Melbourn-a in a city of almost precisely such size, as Boston.
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MELBOURN