THE TKOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [JuNE S, 1902. 
basin. Four years Rgo I saw an instance when I 
went on an official toui to Tlmrgoniindah and 
South-West Queensland, afconipanied by Sir 
Horace Tozer. 1 had continued ihe journey fur- 
ther to tlie south west to see the devastation 
caused by tlie rabbits. We were camped on Bnlloo 
Downs, and from the heavy tlinndercloud.^, lookirf^ 
like massive black blocks, I anticipated a drciK h- 
ing night. My comijanions, however, said it would 
not rain, and they were right. Never a tirop fell 
in our vicinity, and ihe heat was intense, but tlie 
clouds had burst further north, and, on returning 
to Thaigomindah, our buggy horses were all but 
swimming where creeks had to be crossed. Even 
at that date the drought was severe, yet in those 
places where the heavy thunderstorms had fallen 
the country's remarkable rccnperative powers be- 
came apparent, luxurious grass springing up 
where, buc a few days before, there had been the 
barest ground. Considering the heavy losses that 
the pastoral interest has sufl'ered duiing these 
last yeais, it is to be hoped tiiat the Government, 
as the State landlord, will be lenient as regards 
the [layment of rent and the renewal of leases. 
It is as much tlie mora! duty of the State 
and to its interest to be lenient to distressed 
tenants as it is the duty of a private landlord. 
The question of the 
ARTESIAN WATER SOPPLY 
has been recently ventilated both by Dr. R Logan 
Jack and Mr. W Gibbons Cox. Only those who 
have seen the limitless areas of parched ground, 
and houses and townships dependent on the 
storage of water drained from the roof into circular 
corrugated iron tanks that burn to the touch in 
the fierce sunlight, can at all adequately appre- 
ciate these copious discharges of subterranean 
water, Mr. Gibbons Cox has emphasised tlie 
value of the water for the irrigation and growing 
of crops. No doubt the water varijs much in 
temperature and in analysis from the different 
bores, but I know cf no insfccinoe, as yet, where 
after two or three years it has not been found 
.nadaptable for this purpose owing to the accumu- 
lation of mineral deposit. This does not, however, 
prove that some of the bore?, particularly those 
that are more shallow, might not lie free froTU 
this delect. On the otiier liai.d, the Government 
Hydraulic Engineer is not optimistic at present 
as regards the cultivation of crops by this water, 
and says it is totally inadequate for the irrigation 
of grass lands on a large scale, though, of course, of 
inestimable value for watering stock. Oa the 
western border of the Gregory Kiver near Cainoo- 
weal the countiy has a limestone formation, and 
on llocklands station windmills pump water out 
of ordinary wells. Though situated on the water- 
shed of the Gregory River that flows north, this 
subterranean water is believed to drain into the 
(jleorgina, flowing south. Incidentally I may men- 
tion that this part of the country is in places 
honeycombed by caves that give no sign of their 
existence till the observer is close upon them, 
their entrances being flush with the surface of 
the land. Farther north there are curious lime- 
stone rocks, which in one instance almost block 
one small valley, standing in long parallel rows, 
and, being gi(joved horizontally by intersecting 
line", they give an iniptession of walking along 
tlie imssngf's of a ruined Cy(;lo))ean temi)!e 
IJy way of further coiil'iMiiing my opening re- 
mark on the misconception conveyed by the gen- 
eral use oi the term drought-stricken, and in 
contradistinction to this experience of these years 
of drought wheu the pastoral and mining interests 
have so suffered, fanning has thriven, sufficient 
rain having fallen in this more restricted area. 
In the vicinity of the Kussell river the rainfall 
last year exceeded 2'16 inches. If at pre- 
sent there is but little 
AGRICULTURE 
on the western plains, it is not the case on the Dar- 
ling Downs and on the coast lands, which are rapidly 
being broken up. Where, live yeaisago, Ishot quail 
with not a house in siglit, is studded today with 
small farms. Passing along in the train the 20 
or ,30 feet of rich black soil can be seen in the 
creeks cut deep through the fertile plains. Land 
that was worth about Is an acre per annum for 
grazing sheeii, when under lucerne or other green 
crop, may be reckoned as bringing in about £1 a 
year. Such were the liguies supplied to me by a 
squatter who had broken up some thousands of 
acres. Then there are the farms on the chocolate- 
colouied volcanic soils of the ranges; these vie 
with the others in fertility, but the scrub, that is, 
the jungle, has iirst t» be cleared, and in places 
they suffer from the soil being washed away off 
the steep slopes by the torrential rains. Below the 
range the soil is equally rich, but somewhat stiffer 
to work, preferred by some, however, on account 
of the more certain rainfall. On the whole, I 
regard farming in Queensland as a prosperous 
industry ; no doubt there are some drawbacks, 
and nature provides many jilagues, but by contrast 
with farming here, I should say there was a far 
larger margin of profit to be gained by the man 
who, aided by his family, is willing to work. This 
is particularly tiue of the dairying interest, which 
even during the few years I was there not only de- 
veloped largely, but made vast improvement in 
the quality of its products. And it must be 
remembered that the actual necessities of life are 
few and easily supplied. Meat is cheap, only 
ligSit clothing is required, fuel is t« be had for the 
cutting, and for nine months of the year anyone 
could live comfortably under canvas. Befoie 
leaving this part of my subject I should like to 
briefly notice a pestilence w liich is, most unfor- 
tunately, to be reckoned as a serious evil to the 
pastoral industry. I refer to 
RABBITS, 
From what I last heard, it is to be feared they are 
working nortji and east. I found difficulty in obtain- 
ing reliable information. In Brisbane, for instance, 
I was most authoritatively assured before setting 
out on my journey to the south-west that I 
should see no rabbits. At first this appeared 
quite correct, but at length we saw a few ou 
Dynevor Downs. As a matter of fact, they were 
numerous, but owing to the great scaicity of 
herbage they were scattered in all directions. 
At any rate, they do sufiicient harm to make it 
worth while to keep on a single run, two or more 
carts employed in spreadinsr poison. It must be 
remembered that some stations in those districts 
have only about ten cattle to the square 
mile; hence tliere must be very little spare 
food. But on Bulloo Downs tiiere could 
be no question about the existence of 
rabbits. Tlie land literally swarmed with them, 
especially !o the south of a deck rabbit-proof 
fence. They were living on bushes barked five or 
six feet high, and were auything but plump. As 
for rabbits climbing, I may say that I do not be- 
