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HOPETOUN.
fFram a Oorresnondenti.l
" Hopetoun" is the name of a rising town
ship situated at the northern end of Lake
Coorong,' some forty miles north ofWarrack
nabeal, Victoria. The country surrounding
the lake, oonsiBting of over half a million acres,
iB leased by Mr. E. H. Lasoelles from the
Government, -and has been long known as
Lake Coorong Station. A large portion of
the run, which has been used for grazing only,
has been surveyed and subdivided into 480
aore'blocks, some of which have been sold at
10s. per acre. About 10,000 or 12,000 acres
have been put under crop this year by Mr.
Lasoelles, the work being done by contract.
Several thousand acres have also been put in
on the share syBtera, Mr. Lasoelles finding the
land and the seed wheat and also wire-netting
where Considered necessary, and in return
getting ' one-third of the orop, cleaned
and bagged, ready for market. In
order to encourage settlement in the
mallee country Mr. Lasceltes undertook
to constriiot a line of railway from Beulah to
Hopetoun, a distance of fifteen milee. The
work was being rapidly pushed forward when
unfortunately the Commercial Bank, with
whioh Mr. Lasoelles did business, closed its
doors, and as a consequence he had to abandon
his undertaking, whioh it is now hoped will-be
completed by the Government. Mr. Lasoelles
has also put 300,000 aores of the mallee country
on the London market, at an upset price of 10s.
per acre, for his interest in the lease, whioh has
now about ten years to run. By this means
he hopes to induce men with small capital to
dome and reside in the colony. A great many
of the residents here are young men from
South Australia who were unable to get land
in a suitable locality, one of whom has in
formed me that he had repeatedly applied
to one of the Land Boards for selections, but
had never been able to obtain any, so he was
induoed to come here,. A very serious diffi
culty that scrub farmers have to oontend with
is dear, very dear, implements. South Aus
tralian implements ate far superior to those
made here. Intercolonial free trade would be
a very great benefit both to the Victorian
farmers and the South Australian implement
makers. All the farmers have finished seed
ing, and are rejoioing at the prospeot of a very
prolific harvest. The weather for the last
month or so has been very wet, four days alone
Riving us a rainfall of about C inohes. We
have had strong frosts during the last two or
three nights, which have somewhat affected
the growth of grass, crops, &c., but so far the
prsipeot of the ooming harvest is exceedingly
good.
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