1 Suer., 1897.] QUEENSLAND. AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 263 
Pera bore is situated on a travelling stock route, and was established originally 
for the purpose of watering travelling stock, but finding that the bore yielded a 
supply of water greatly in excess of that required for travelling stock, Mr. Sydney 
Smith determined upon the establishment of an experimental farm upon the site, 
The soil was such as seemed eminently adapted for such a purpose. Not only has 
an experimental farm, consisting of 60 acres, been established, but in addition 
there are twenty blocks of 20 acres each set apart for settlement. Only a little 
more than two years has elapsed since tapping the water ; but it is said that the 
settlement has already passed the experimental stage and is proving highly 
profitable. Some at least of the settlers of the town of Bourke used to rely to a 
considerable extent upon vegetables grown locally by the Chinese; but it is said 
that vegetables grown at Pera are coming into active competition with those grown 
at Bourke by Chinese. An instance is quoted where a certain settler is said to 
have averaged a clear profit of £10 a week for six weeks, and to have at an 
earlier stage received no less a sum than £6 a week for a period of six months. 
The cabbages grown by this settler are said to command no less a figure than 
43. 6d. adozen. Whilst he is seemingly on the road to affluence, a strange 
commentary on the apathy of other people is afforded by the fact that of the 
twenty blocks of land already surveyed for settlement, only nine are in actual 
occupation at the present moment. There was a tenth block occupied, but, 
because he found some other occupation more profitable, the settler had relin- 
quished it, after devoting a considerable amount of labour to improvements on 
it. The fact is that some of the people of Bourke are highly sceptical as to 
whether the settlement at Pera will prove profitable ultimately. 
“The Pera bore has a total depth of 1,054 feet, and yields a flow of 700,000 
gallons per diem; the discharge-pipe is 10 inches in diameter, and with a view 
to releasing the sulphuretted-hydrogen which ascends with the water it is 
discharged into an elevated tank, whose capacity is 20,000 gallons. ‘The water, 
haying thus become aerated, is conveyed in a fluming which, in echelon form, 
traverses the experimental farm, and also passes between the settler’s blocks, 
thus enabling each farm or orchard to secure whatever water it may require. 
For each 20-acre block the settler is required to pay £5 per annum and to 
make improvements. When the visitors arrived the water was flowing from a 
20-inch head, which conyerted the flow into a charming fountain; and to 
illustrate the force of the flow the water was cut off at the head and released 
from a 2-inch nozzle which was fitted to the pipe directly above the bore. A. 
great volume of water at once ascended skyward, and several visitors said 
that they would like to see the force of such a huge column tried in extin- 
guishing some great fire. The present season is not the most favourable for 
visiting the farms and orchards, but on every hand there is abundant evidence 
of the fertility of the soil. Some people have expressed fear that the alkalinity 
of artesian water would have a prejudicial effect upon the growth of trees and. 
yegetables, but such fears do not receive much support from the experience of 
settlers at Pera. At the Government farm there are 23 acres under fruit 
trees, 9 under lucerne, 63 under wheaten hay, 1 under vegetables, and 1 under 
date palms. Altogether 80 date palms obtained from Algeria have been put 
in, and their growth has been most encouraging. ‘The soil at Pera bore has proved 
especially well adapted to the growth of citrus fruits, peaches, and apricots, 
broom millet, amber cane, Kaffir corn, maize, and cotton. Broom millet grown 
at Pera has, it is said, commanded from £15 to £17 per ton in the metropolitan 
market. The total cost of the bore and all the works connected therewith was, 
the visitors were informed, less than £3,000.” é 
FRUIT AND EGG PRESERVING. 
Tin Australian Vigneron and Fruitgrowers’ Journal reports as follows on 
experiments made by Messrs. Parker and Warner, with the above object in 
view :— . 
“ Messrs. Parker and Warner, tlie patentees of a a fresh fruit and egg 
preserving solution, which is now being prepared and sold by a company in 
