‘92 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Fer., 1898. 
1,000 acres cut for hay. Had it not been for some doubt entertained by the 
farmers as to a probability of rainfall, this latter area would not have been cut 
prematurely, and the returns of grain would have been largely increased. ‘The 
variety of wheat sown was Allora Spring, and, although the returns are not 
yet fully made up, it is understood that the average yield will amount to 16 
bushels per acre. 
Amongst other successful farmers may be mentioned Mr. McPhie, who, 
we are informed, sowed 108 acres, from which he obtained a yield of 558 bags. 
A portion of the land returned over 30 bushels per acre. As is the case 
throughout the wheat districts, some of the grain is pinched, but, taken all 
round, the sample is a very good one, and should command full market prices. 
The farmers are holding their wheat for a rise in the market, much of it being 
stored in the town. The first portion of the crop sold to the local mill realised 
4s. Gd. per bushel. ‘he best is now quoted at 4s. to 4s. 3d per bushel. With 
flour at 35s. a bag, the farmers do not care to sell at a low figure which wiil 
‘yield a Jarger profit to-the miller than to the grower. It is worthy of note that 
the Roma district has supplied nearly one-eighth of the total wheat production 
of the colony ; and there is yet a very large amount of excellent agricultural 
land open for selection on Bungeworgarai and Dargal Creeks, whilst in the 
Maranoa district there are three-quarters of a million acres open for selection 
as grazing and agricultural farms. It is anticipated that the scrub lands near 
the town of Roma will be largely selected under the new Land Act, which 
comes into operation on the 1st March of this year. There are many intend- 
ing selectors looking round the district. One Victorian farmer stated that if 
such land as he saw about Roma were offered for selection in the southern 
colony, there would be a great rush for it. 
Farmers are to some extent handicapped by the long land carriage, which 
much, though unavoidably, increases the cost of farming machinery. It costs 
£5 to get a three-furrow plough from Brisbane to Roma, whilst if there were 
water carriage the freight would be considerably less. For instance, the 
freight on the same implement from Melbourne to the Brisbane railway truck 
is only £1178. This is a disability, however, which must always hamper the Far 
West farmer, however much the railway authorities try to reduce the freight, 
and as much as possible is being done in that direction to lessen the tax on the 
Western man. A few words about the bore may not be uninteresting, 
although boring has been at present stopped. At 520 feet a flow of 4,000 
gallons was obtained under a bed of blue clay. At 907 feet, passing through 
the same stratum of clay, the flow increased to 100,000 gallons per day. At 
1,298 feet 264,000 gallons were obtained, and at 1,678 feet, when operations 
were suspended, the flow remained the same. The population of Roma being 
about 2,000, this gives an ample supply of water for domestic and house 
purposes. 
DENTITION OF SHEEP. 
A wew1y dropped lamb is either without incisor teeth or has only two. At 
the end of a month it has the whole eight. They continue to grow until from 
fourteen to sixteen months, when the two central teeth are shed and attain 
their full growth with the growth of the sheep at two years old. Between two 
and three years the next two incisors are shed, and at three years the four 
central teeth are fully grown. At four years old, the sheep has six permanent 
teeth—7.e., one year before the horse and ox; and the sheep is then known as 
“full mouthed.” At five years, all the teeth are fully developed. 
