356 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Nov., 1897. 
Highting a Drought. 
Droveurs and floods will doubtless continue to make trouble in all countries 
where agricultural pursuits are carried on, excepting, perhaps, in the rainless 
regions of the earth, such as Peru, Hgypt, &c., where heavy dews. in the first 
case, and periodic overflowing of the Nile in the second, play the part which 
rain does in other countries. 
As a rule, a drought is more disastrous in Queensland than a flood, and 
yet the former is more easily guarded against than the latter. But a very 
short time suffices to obliterate even the recollection of either; consequently 
during a series of good seasons the farmer rests in fancied security, and rarely 
makes the bountiful overplus of fodder supply the want of it in a dry season. 
How often have we heard both farmer and grazier declare that he will never 
be caught again by a drought—that he will set the mowing machine to work 
in a good season, and provide stacks of hay against adrought? How often 
have they done it? 
Speaking at the Agricultural Bureau Congress held in Adelaide last 
September, the Hon. L. O'Loughlin, M.P., Commissioner of Crown Lands, 
said in the course of his opening address :—‘‘ While the drought that we have 
so recently experienced has knocked us back a few years, it ought also to teach 
us a valuable lesson. We have had many lessons in South Australia; we 
have had many droughts. I say, and my fellow-farmers say, I have no doubt, 
I will never be caught like this again. ‘I will have all the hay-stacks, straw- 
stacks, and ensilage=I can. For a few years the farmer husbands his straw, but 
after a while—perhaps four or five years after the drought—he does not 
husband his straw ; he forgets the drought, and the result is that the drought 
comes when he is not prepared to meet it. Heis caught napping again. If 
we experienced a drought every other year, we would doubtless be prepared to 
meet it. Now, I believe the recent drought will be a lasting lesson to us. 
With the improved systems of husbanding the straw, with the twine-binder and 
with the seed drills and fertilisers I spoke of, we will have better crops and 
be able to conduct our operations cheaper; and, moreover, we will be in a 
much better position to meet the droughts when they come upon us. I am 
sure that I am only echoing the sentiments of everyone, and certainly of every 
farmer in South Australia, when I say that for the future we will recognise 
the wisdom of saving a straw-stack every year, and of saving the 
cocky chaff from year to year, and not burn it as we have been doing. 
I think that the days have gone by when stubble should be burned.” 
Mr. D. Wilson, of Victoria, one of the delegates to the Congress, speaking 
on the same subject, said:—“ Droughts teach us valuable lessons, if we are 
ready to profit by them. . . . . Are the deaths you have suffered, 
and the cheques you have lost, going to do you no good? Surely you have 
learned by this time that when the good years come round you should get a stock 
of ensilage or hay, so that you will not be found shiftless again. You may 
talk about introducing fresh grasses. You have grasses and feed of your ownif 
you would only use them. It is of no use telling me that a man cannot grow 
green stuff. Ido notbelieveit. . . .. . Maize will grow to 6 or 7 
feet high in four months ; and when that is so, why does a man say he cannot 
help himself when the cows die? It is ashame to say'so. Make an ensilage — 
pit and chaff your stuff into it. If next year turns out as good as this, 
you won't want it. Keep it by till you do want it; it is as good as money in the 
bank. I doubt whether a man who has a herd of cows, and half of them die on 
his hands after this year, ought not to be prosecuted.” 
