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1 Jury, 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 85 
by their neighbours. With regard to the experimenting in different products, 
he took it this was really the province of the experiment farms. Conditions 
of soil were so different. The Maranoa district, he believed, was similar to the 
western lands of the Central district, but in the former they had no artesian 
bores, and the contour of the country would not permit of irrigation except 
at immense expense.* Dry seasons were certainly to be included among the 
disabilities of farmers, and in the Maranoa district their only refuge was in deep 
cultivation, subsoiling, &c., although these had hitherto ‘been adopted in only 
a few cases. Where they had been carried out, however, most beneficial 
results were seen in dry seasons. He had seen land subsoiled to a depth of 
15 inches yield 15 bushels of wheat to the agre, while the crop on land along- 
side, and not treated, was not worth harvesting. Personally, he had proved. 
that a small area of land in that dry region was more profitable than a large 
area given only shallow cultivation. Shallow cultivation in such a district was 
simply throwing money away. or the last three years at Wallumbilla they 
had never had enough rain to soak 8 feet into the subsoil, and since last 
January they had never had more than three-quarters of an inch of rain at a 
fall; in fact, the district when he left it was far from what it ought to be, and 
coming to where they then were, where there was plenty of moisture, the 
contrast was very marked. He thought light tramlines would do very well in 
level country, but in districts like Rosewood, where there were so many 
by-roads, there would be objections to them. Arrangements would have to be 
made at the various junctions for transhipping. Then the question of bridges 
would come in, as good structures would be essential. However, if the 
Government could be induced in the direction of a differential endowment the 
difficulty in that respect might be met. 
Mr. Sanprock (Bowen), after stating that he thought all agricultural 
implements and machinery should be admitted into the colony duty free, 
referred to the injuries done to farmers through the fruit fly and other insect 
pests. Some means ought to be adopted to bring about combined action for 
the keeping of these in check, as individual effort was powerless. lt was 
useless for one man to fight a pest while his neighbour did nothing. In the 
matter of roads he agreed that in large strageling districts the keeping of them 
in order was a serious matter to divisional boards after floods, and especially 
since the endowment had been retrenched. He, too, advocated an increase in 
the endowment. Railway freights were not the serious question in the North 
that they were in the South; but he was glad to say steps were being taken 
for the export of fruit to Hngland, so steamer freights and storage would soon 
haye to be dealt with. He himself had sent mangoes to London, and though 
he had been promised they would be stored in the cool chamber he found after- 
wards they had gone as ordinary cargo. Needless to say on arrival in London 
they were quite rotten. : 
Mr. C. Marks (Kolan) pointed out that in considering the roads question 
it was important to remember that many country roads ran through Crown 
lands. 
Mr. J. Hupson (Rosewood) desired to know if it was inferred that those 
who wanted cheap money were involved. 
Mr. F. W. Peek: No, no! 
Mr. Huson replied to the remarks made upon his paper, and concluded 
by stating that farmers had to produce cheaply, and that he saw nothing 
Seton or impolitic in trying to get cheap money from England for agriculturists 
ere. 
Mr. T. Wutrenny (Rockhampton) stated that in his paper he 
had no intention whatever of reflecting on members of divisional boards 
or magistrates of the appeal courts. He was of opinion that the ratepayers 
were to blame for faults in that direction, and he had no desire 
to call on the Government for further assistance. If the rates were put up, 
* Bore at Muckadilla, furty-five miles from Mitchell. Water-bearing strata come to the 
surface at Dulacca, and reach 3,262 feet at Muckadilla.—Kd. Q.4.J. 
