416 THE BRITISH EMPIRE : — NORTHERN TERRITORY
Production and Industry.
The soils of the Territory differ greatly, but it is stated that most products known to the tropical and temperate zones can be growu successfully. At present, however, agriculture is insignificant. In most parts the natural grasses are extremely rich in nutriment, and provide food for cattle, horses, sheep, and other stock. The numbers of stock at the end of 1918 were : — Cattle, 570,039 ; horses, 31, 436; sheep, 58,620; pigs, 1,200.
The Territory is rich in mineral resources, though these are very little developed. The aggregate value of the minerals produced to June 30, 1919, and in the year 1918-19, was as follows : —
Gold . Copper . Tin
Total to
June 30,
1919
£ 2,262,687 230,930 484,786
1918-19
£
3,521
2,349
30,021
Silver & lead Other Metals
Total
Total to
June 30, 1919
£ 62,216 179,221
3,219,840
191S-19
£
132 34,961
70,984
The oversea imports
Commerce.
and exports are given as
follows : —
Year
Imports
Exports
Year
Imports
Exports
1913 1914-15 1915-16
£
20,977 83,708 74,424
£
67.911 13,319 20,953
1916-17
1917-181
- 1918-191
£ 82,775 32,287 25,140
£
13,251
268,419
377,258
i Excluding bullion and specie.
Books of Reference.
Annual Reports by the Government Resident and Administrator on the Northern Terri- tory.
Memorandum on the Northern Territory prepared under the direction of the Minister for External Affairs. July, 1909.
Official Year Book of the Commonwealth of Australia. Annual. Melbourne.
Report of Preliminary Scientific Expedition to the Northern Territory.— 16 Bulletins issued.
Motion (Elsie R.), An Untamed Territory : The Northern Territory of Australia. London, 1915.
Spencer (Baldwin), The Native Tribes of the Northern Territory of Australia. London, 1914.
White (Rt. Rev. G.), Thirty Years in Tropical Australia. London, 1918.
S«t also under Australia.
