In the vegetation eucalypts predominate. The Mallee scrub ex tends as far north as about the 12 in. ay. ann. rainfall line ("Goy der's Line" in South Australia), and serves roughly to differentiate the (potentially) agricultural lands from the pastoral (mulga, blue-bush, etc.) areas of the interior. "Mallee-country is wheat country" is now almost a maxim, and the trees (roots and over-growth) yield useful fuel. Several of the lower-growing eucalypts yield valuable essential oils (ay. ann. output : eucalyptus oil, 5,000-8,000 gal. ; yacka gum [picric acid] : soo--1,5oo tons, Kangaroo Island being important for both), and wattle (tanning) bark is also produced (5,000-8,0oo tons).
Water-supply, under the existing climatic conditions, had early to be provided. The highlands (including Eyre's Peninsula) form the main catchment areas and here some 18 reservoirs, hav ing a total capacity of nearly 17,000,000,000 gallons serve an area of over 18,50o square miles, with 5,120 miles of mains.
In the Northern Interior agriculture is absent; in the extreme south it is of the Victorian type (see VICTORIA) ; on the Murray it is mainly by irrigation ; here it is, on its extensive side, wheat— with some mixed (wheat-and-sheep)—farming and, in its more intensive aspects vine and fruit (including olive) culture, apicul ture, poultry, etc. There are (1927-28) 2,862,000 ac. under wheat (cf. New South Wales: 2,990,000; Victoria: 2,900,00o; Western Australia: 2,812,00o ac.) and by far the greater portion of this lies, in the area under review, in Yorke Peninsula and in the lowlands and highlands east of the gulf. Here the fairly reliable winter and spring rains, followed by a hot and dry sum mer, are ideal for early winter planting, and harvesting (Decem ber–January), and loam soils—lighter and more sandy in parts of Eyre's Peninsula—and the prevailingly flattish terrain permit of "extensive" farming methods and large harvests per unit man power. Usual farms average from zoo to 24o ac. and, as else where in Australia, superphosphates are largely used as fer tilisers (almost 93% of the total area cultivated in the State is manured, 181,00o tons of manure, that is to say, over 81 lbs. per acre, being used) and the producing areas are very dependent upon rail or port outlets. The following figures illustrate the wheat-bearing capacity of the areas under review : Barley and oats are grown in moister areas and poorer soils, and a considerable part of the wheat and oats sown is reaped as hay (500,00o ac. in the whole State).
Dairying is carried on mainly on the plains and in the hills within reach of Adelaide where markets and export facilities exist, and the same applies to some extent to pig and poultry rearing, bacon-curing, etc. Apart from dairy herds few cattle
are now found in this area, but sheep, though not of first impor tance, are widely kept, often as an element in a mixed-farming regime, and bred (crosses) for both meat and wool.
The southern region (Mount Lofty Range) is the home of vine, fruit, vegetable and, to a less extent, of olive culture. Vines and olives thrive on the lower western slopes (below soo ft.) of the Adelaide hills, while further north-east and north the An gaston, Tanunda and Clare districts are noted for their excellent wines. (Olive oil production: 1926-27: 16,500 gallons.) Oranges, lemons, peaches, apricots and almonds abound on the plains or in the valleys of the hills where water, shelter and warmth are available. Northern fruits (apples, plums, pears, etc.) also abound and the rich valley-bottoms (e.g., Piccadilly and Uraidla) within a 20-3o mile radius of Adelaide produce and market much small fruit (strawberries, raspberries, currants, etc.) and vege tables. One of the striking features of Adelaide is the profusion of fruit and vegetables available, ranging from tropical (bananas, etc.), through Mediterranean (including melons, etc.) to tem perate types. A high standard of agricultural production has been achieved and is maintained by the work of agricultural colleges and research institutes (e.g., at Roseworthy, and the Waite In stitute, University of Adelaide). Such manufacturing as exists is concentrated mainly in the metropolitan area, more particularly in the outlying suburbs (e.g., Hindmarsh, Kilkenny, Islington, etc.), in ports Adelaide, Pirie, Wallaroo. Many industries are carried on largely with imported fuel (coal) and even imported raw materials and owe their existence mainly to the tariff and the local market.
Few inland settlements have as many as even 2,000 inhabitants (Peterborough, 3,000; Kadina, formerly a mining town, 2,50o). The harbours are rarely good—Port Lincoln, a wheat port and naval station, is an exception—but the small ports are numerous. Yorke Peninsula is notably devoid of railways, communication being maintained by coasting steamers and packet boats. Port Adelaide alone has an outer harbour visited by ocean-going vessels. Land routes within this area, apart from a fairly well-developed and growing system of roads, consist of railway lines. Adelaide is an important railway centre from which the systems run, branching, mainly northwards—following the physiographic trend lines—but also east, crossing the Mount Lofty range rather un economically at its highest part.