1 Jury, 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. w7, 
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expansion will fall upon that part of the colony in which we are now assembled. 
Hitherto there has not been such a large spread of the industry in the Central 
district, but in the North and South there has certainly been a very marked 
increase in agriculture. With regard to the product peculiar to the North, 
sugar, the output of the colony !ast year was 100,000 tons. This year the 
increase will probably be not less than 50 per cent. In spite of the difficulty 
and expense of putting new land under such a crop as cane, and various 
adverse climatic conditions, Queensland’s cane crop this year will yield 150,000 
tons of sugar. But to go to other matters—matters which go, as sugar 
does, into every household. There is butter; and in this branch of the 
farming industry I think I may fairly claim that the Agricultural Department 
has been of considerable assistance. When I first came into active politics, in 
1893—of course, I claim no credit, but am simply stating a fact—the 
importations of butter into the colony exceeded the exports by 250,000 lb. 
Last year the balance had entirely changed, and we exported 190,000 Ib. 
more than we imported. This year we may hope that our exports of butter 
will exceed our imports by fully 1,000,000 lb. The day I left Brisbane, 
Saturday week, I was informed 'that 2,000 boxes of butter had just been sold 
to go to Melbourne. ‘This will give some idea of the spread of agriculture in 
one section. The same thing has happened in regard to cheese. In 1893 the 
imports exceeded the exports by 350,000 lb., but in 1897, although the tide 
had not yet turned, the difference had been reduced to 14,500 lb., and 
I believe that before another couple of years have passed our cheese will take 
its place alongside of our butter and meat in the London market. ‘There is 
another valuable industry which has shown a similar expansion, although I 
was sorry not to have seen it represented on the show ground to-day, and that is 
pig-raising. A gentleman reminded me to-day that the first bulletin issued by 
the Department of Agriculture was on pig-raising ; and if the Department put 
this subject intentionally in the forefront as a type of the kind of information 
’ they were desirous of spreading, they could not have chosen a better. In 1893 
we imported 6,700 lb. of bacon more than we exported, but in four years the 
figures were 681,000 Ib. in favour of the exports. I know of one Queensland 
firm alone that is exporting to the southern colonies 1,200 sides and 800 
flitches of bacon per month. It is Queensland that is mainly keeping Western 
Australia in pig products. It was a Queensland factory that beat all others at 
the late Sydney show. In fact, I think both Queensland bacon and butter 
will very shortly occupy the most prominent place in the markets of Australia. 
Exactly the same class of figures applies to hams, lard, and similar products, but 
1 shall not weary you with further statistics. - 
While the agricultural industry is flourishing, it may be said that there is 
considerable hope that the tide has turned for the pastoralists. The large and 
constantly increasing demand for beef extract has now established a minimum 
price for stock which is considerably in excess of boiling rates, and the number 
of works that are now being fitted with extract machinery will be sufficient, I 
_ hope, to absorb all our surplus meat. That is one hopeful sign. But I am 
hoping that the present wasteful system under which we now export annually 
a quarter of a million head of cattle into New South Wales will eventually be 
abolished. At present our stock leave our stations half or three-quarter fat. 
On the way to market, however, they lose all that fat, and start again in New 
South Wales as really store stock. That waste is a loss to the industry 
which in some way or other ought to be saved. New South Wales at 
the Besant time is dealing with probably the most valuable part of 
the bullock, We get no adequate return for the hides, the horns, 
the hoofs, the tallow, and all the other by-products we send over on the hoof, 
but I am yery hopeful that these losses will be stopped. Iam hoping thata trade 
in chilled meat will be established with the other colonies. Hven though 
temporary loss and disarrangement of trade may result from the quarantine 
line just established by New South Wales along our border, [ am convinced 
that that action will be of the very greatest benefit in compelling us to do our 
