that there was too much sheep in the sheep-rearing districts—there was nothing else to talk about. And at this point we recall an anecdote told to us by Dr. E. S. Cunningham, the editor of "The Melbourne Argus." There was a Colonial Conference in England some years ago, and he and some of the others who came to it, Mr. Deakin among them, went back to Australia across the United States. One night in the Far West their train was held up by accident, and they stopped at the hotel of some wayside station. After supper, as they sat round the red-hot stove of the hotel parlour, some of the citizens of the township blew in for their evening conversazione, and hailed the opportunity of conversation with strangers.
They quickly found that the strangers were Australians, and as quickly turned the conversation on to the comparative advantages of the two continents.
"I suppose now," said one of them, "that you reckon to have a few sheep in your country. We have sheep here too. Some. Now what size holdings do you put up down there?"
Mr. Deakin, to whom the question was addressed, paused reflectively and said: "Well, I don't know that I'm well posted about sheep; but I believe my friend has some knowledge of
