1 Fes., 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 147 
> 
Tropical Industries. 
PICKING COFFEE, 
On this subject Mr. E. Cowley says :—“ People will run away with notions 
favourable to their own desires. No man or boy could average throughout 
the coffee season more than 50 lb. of berries perday. If he did that, he would 
have to work early and late. Boys will pick coffee for 3d. per 1b. when there 
are plenty on the trees; but in the earlier and later pickings they do not care 
about the work, and it is quite unreasonable to think that boys will be obtain- 
able for numbers of Jarge plantations. They would be wanted in a dozen 
localities at the same time; also, do not the youth of Queensland require the 
midwinter holidays? Coffee-picking occurs right in the holiday season, and 
Australian boys would very properly object to work during their holiday time.* 
There are, of course, always a few worthless loafers who would go in for it, 
and the needy parents of others would compel their children to work. Ninety 
pounds may be considered a maximum picking for an adult (when there is abun- 
dance of fruit) in a day of nine hours, but he will dwindle down to 30 Ib. in 
nine hours before the season is over. It is a case in point where the most 
unintelligent labour, valueless for any other purpose, can be employed on an. 
equal footing with the most intelligent and valuable, provided the digits be 
there and the overseering capable.” 
Tt will be self-evident that a picker, who is paid by weight at the rate of 
4d. per lb., would not be able to make wages towards the end of the season; 
but as the bulk, say one-half of the crop, comes off at the first picking, the 
difficulty might be met by paying 3d. per lb. for the first picking, #d. per lb. 
for the second, and ld. per lb. for the third. 
* On this point we differ with Mr. Cowley. Cotton-picking used to be in full swing during 
holiday time, and we have seen troops of boys and girls at work in the fields. The real holiday 
time of most hardworking farmers’ children is when they are attending school—five hours’ school 
work, the rest play. 
COFFEE AT LANDSBOROUGH. 
Tire success which has attended the cultivation of coffee at the Buderim 
Mountain has at different times induced selectors on the Blackall Range ‘to 
start the industry in a small way, and these experiments have shown that the 
soil and climate in certain localities in the district are eminently suitable to 
the coffee plant. Two or three years ago a company was formed in Brisbane 
for the purpose of growing coffee on a large scale about twelve miles from 
Landsborough, on the North Coast line, and some 40,000 coffee plants were 
raised, and a few acres were planted out. The method adopted by the 
manager, Mr. Waldegrave Thompson, who had gained his experience in 
Ceylon, was to brush the scrub, burning off all undergrowth up to 6 inches in 
diameter, and leaving the large trees standing to serve as shade. The experiment 
for various reasons proved a failure, and when the plantation was purchased, 
twelve months ago by Mr. W. Bartlett the whole of the plants had died off 
owing to neglect. 
Mr. Bartlett set to work energetically to reform the plantation and 
nurseries. He found the nursery established on a flat beneath a ridge, subject 
to the washing-down of soii during heavy rains. He abandoned. this spot, and 
located the sced beds and nurseries 60 feet higher up the bank, and close-paled 
L 
