176 



Journal of Agriculture. 



[10 jNIarch, 1910. 



amount of pine on private property, much of which is near railways and 

 can be purchased reasonably. Moreover, north of Gladstone, other forests 

 exist ; in fact, areas of pine may he found all along the Queensland coast 

 as far as Cairns. 



Several new railways are in course of construction, or are projected, 

 which will tap new forests of pine hitherto too far from railways to be 

 marketable. The following is a schedule of timber reserves affected by 

 the extension of the railway line from Kannangur tO' Black Butt and an 

 approximate estimate of the quantity of timber thereon : — 



30,000 

 5,000 



10,24.0 

 610 



14,700 

 1 ,4.00 



14,800 



Tota: 



>75« 



line crosses reserve 



About 5 miles 



About 6 miles to centre of reserve . 



About 4 miles 



About 14 miles to centre of reserve. 



About 16 miles 



AVmut 25 miles to centre of reserve. 



1,838 feet to acre 



2 5,000,000 feet 



16,000,000 ,, 



13,000,000 ,, 



100,000 ,, 



12,000,000 ,, 



r, 000, 000 ,, 



74,000,000 ,, 



1 4. 1 , 1 CO, 000 feet 



It is estimated that there are 23,350,000 feet of other timbers, besides 

 pine, on the above areas. Kannangur is 83 miles from Brisbane, and 

 Black Butt probably 40 miles further. The estimate as to the quantity of 

 timber ori the reserves is a Departmental one, which is con.sidered by timber 

 merchants to ,be very conservative. 



It does not seem necessary to furnish further particulars to satisfy one 

 that there is sufficient timber in Queensland to supply all the butter boxes 

 Victorian producers require. One gentleman, who is familiar with the 

 timber resources of the State, and also with the dairying industry, said : 

 " There is enough hoop pine along the Queensland coast to supply all the 

 butter boxes wanted in Australia for many years to come." 



Means of Obtaining a Supply of Boxes. — To appreciate the conditions 

 with respect to the butter box industry, it is necessary to recall what took 

 place some two years ago in Queensland. At that time there was, and is 

 still, a Timber Merchants' Association there. The Queensland producers 

 were then charged as much as is. 5d. for boxes by the members of the 

 Association, and even at that price it was not easy to get supplies. It was 

 necessary to apply to the Secretary of the Association for boxes. 



The producers at last realized that there was plenty of timber available, 

 and they resolved to erect their own mill if merchants would not reduce 

 their price to a reasonable figure. One merchant, however, arranged to 

 supply boxes at is. o|d. each, and large contracts at this price over a 

 number of years, were entered into. The producers, therefore, decided 

 not to proceed with the erection of their mill. 



With the exception of one or two box makers, most of the timber mer- 

 chants have, I understand, practically gone out of the butter box industry, 

 partly, it is said, because the profits obtainable from box making under 

 present conditions are not attractive, but chiefly I believe, on account 

 of the existing activity of building operations in Brisbane. 



With a view to ascertaining whether the Queensland merchants could 

 cater for our requirements, T commenced to interview representatives of the 



