1 Jan., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL, 69 
It is undoubtedly true that there is an arid belt running through 
Australia, Africa, &c., but where forests cross that belt, asin New South 
Wales and Western Australia, there isa heavy rainfall. It may be claimed 
that the Australian Alps intercept and cause a rainfall in the eastern colony 
but that is not the case in the west. South Australia stands between two 
points in this longitude, and her average is 20 inches, against 40 inches to 60 
inches in the other places. 
General Notes. 
THE LONGERENONG AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, 
A ew weeks ago, at a meeting of the Council of Agricultural Education, it 
was decided to take steps to reopen the above college, and a sub-committee 
was appointed to prepare a report setting forth the basis on which the 
institution should be conducted in future. It was stated that the college 
would not have been closed had it not been for three successive bad seasons 
and but for the fact that owing to the failure of the crops it was impossible 
to give students the instruction in the harvesting of crops which was essential 
in any system of agricultural education. Moreover, the continuation of the 
drought had resulted in the council having to make substantial reductions in 
the rent of their endowment properties, most of its tenants having suffered 
severe losses. Since, however, there was a prospect of having a good season, 
there was no reason why the opening of the college should be further delayed, 
especially as some 600 or 700 acres, which had been sown with different crops, 
were coming on nicely. It was considered it would take two months to secure 
the necessary teaching staff; and to obtain a sufficient enrolment of students to 
justify the opening of the institution. . 
WHITE ANTS. 
Tyran the white ant, or rather termite as the insect should properly be called, 
will attack growing wood is an undoubted fact, however it may be disputed. 
Byeryone who has had anything to do with arboriculture on sandy, shaley 
soils knows this to his cost. .We had an avenue of Poinetana regia trees in 
the neighbourhood of Brisbane, and every one was attacked by the pest. None, 
however, died, as great care was taken to drive them off. At Normanton, in 
the Gulf country, it is said to be impossible to grow any shrubs, owing to the 
attacks of enormous termites, unless a sheet of galvanised iron was placed 
round the roots underground. 
The Zropical Agriculturist, of Colombo, however, has a good word to 
say for the insect, and perhaps not without reason. First, the ant benefits 
the planter. by destroying all decayed wood lying on the ground and converting 
it into soil. ‘The next benefit is that the soil is literally honeycombed by the 
tiny termites, and is thus being thoroughly wrated now, and all will render the 
assage of water through it easy when the rains docome. So, like the humble 
earthworm, it answers a very useful purpose in the economy of Nature, and 
under certain circumstances is a very useful friend to the agriculturist. 
A NEW WEED-DESTROYER. 
Mr. M. Swinzurye, of North Toolburra, Warwick, writing on 19th 
November, says:—Some time ago I noted in the pages of your Jowrnal a 
weed-destroyer recommended by the Curator of the Botanic Gardens, Mr. 
Mac Mahon, called the “Avery garden plough.” As I could not quite see 
