13 



sections to study the agricultural conditions that exist, with a view 

 to sugiresting methods of improvement. This force consists of the 

 principal of the Queensland Agricultural College, the agricultural 

 chemist, the botanist, entomologist, an instructor and assistant in- 

 structor in fruit culture, a viticulturist, tobacco exjDert, instructor in 

 coffee culture, a quarantine inspector, the director of the botanical 

 gardens, the manager of the State nursery at Kamerunga, the man- 

 ager of the State farm at AVestbrook. manager of the State farm at 

 Hermitage, manager of the State farm at Biggenden. manager of the 

 State farm at Gindie, and the chief inspector of stock. 



The honoraljle secretary of agriculture for Queensland, in his re- 

 port for the year 11)01, in commenting upon the lack of organization 

 for agricultural improvement in that State, makes the following 

 statement : 



Till' twu ciusi's assigned for the satisfactory coudition of agriculture in the 

 more progressive .States of Europe are the extent to which cooperation and 

 combination i)revail among the farmers and the extent to which the principles 

 of scientific tillage are diffused among them. 



Queensland has many agricultural societies, hut there seems to be no ma- 

 chinery by which they may be brought to combine readily for any puri)ose ; no 

 central body empowered to speak in behalf of all or even a majority of the 

 societies has yet been called into existence. 



It is to be added that, beyond holding shows and bestowing prizes for exhibits 

 not exclusively agrieultural. these societies have done little or nothing to repro- 

 duce here in any fullness the continental model. 



SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 



In South Australia the work of disseminating agricultural infor- 

 mation among farmers is in the hands of an agricultural bureau. 

 This bureau is a subordinate division in the department of agricid- 

 ture and consists of a board of twelve members, who hold office by 

 appointment and serve without salary. Each member of this cen- 

 tral bureau or board is a specialist distinginshed for service in some 

 important line of agricultural industry. 



The bureau upon ai)plication of at least six residents of a district 

 is authorized to appoint subordinate branches, distributing them 

 throughout the country at points not nearer than 12 miles from any 

 established branch. The membership of a branch is limited to 15, 

 but there can be an unlimited inimber of honorary members. The 

 difference between the two is that the honorary members are not 

 eligil)le to hold office, to l)e appointed as official delegates to the 

 annual congress of branches, or to receive free the Monthly Journal 

 of the department. 



The members of. the branches are appointed by the central bureau, 

 known as the " council of agriculture." Beyond this, and in being 



