1 Ava., 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 135 
get rid of it, and perhaps it would be as well to accept it as a permanency. 
However, it did not do very well on red soil. He knew one man who did get 
rid of nut-grass, and that was by putting salt on the land. Unfortunately, 
however, the land, though it has grown no nut-grass since, has grown nothing 
else. As for the Noogoora and Bathurst burrs, neither of them seemed to 
have any friends; so they, along with the prickly-pear, would have to, if 
possible, go. 
Mr. T. A. Bromrey (Pialba) knew something of the lantana, and if he 
had to lay down a fallow he would prefer to put down lantana. He had 
bought a piece of property which had been overrun with lantana, some of the 
trunks of the trees being from 6 to 7 inches through. It took some trouble 
clearing, but that piece of land is the best he has now got. The lantana 
throws down a splendid mulch, and its manurial effect on land where it has 
been growing is very marked. Moreover, it is a fine thing for killing weeds, 
for nothing will grow where lantana is. 
Mr. J. H. Davipson (Wellington Point) desired to know the name of 
the prickly-pear which grew in the district, and which was used as a stock 
food. He knew there were two kinds of prickly-pear. The active ingredients 
in “Scrub Exterminator” were arsenic and caustic soda, and the preparation 
was very effective for destroying prickly-pear. 
Mr. T. Wutretny (Coowonga, Rockhampton) mixed a good deal among 
the farming community about Rockhampton, and could confidently say the 
farmers there would be very glad to get rid of both Sida retusa and prickly- 
pear. Where Stda retusa would grow, grass would; and there was not much 
question as to which was the most valuable of the two. There were two 
varieties of prickly-pear, and the chief kind about Rockhampton was the 
common or small-leaved variety. It spread at a great rate, if not checked. 
He considered it ridiculous to talk about feeding cattle on prickiy-pear. 
Mr. Joun Manon said his experience of Sida retusa was that it would 
taint the milk of cows fed upon it, and he would not advise any dairyman to 
use it. A good deal of the prickly-pear growing about Rockhampton was 
quite different to the variety growing on the Darling Downs and other 
districts in the Southern portion of the colony. 
Mr. W. R. Twrve (Wallumbilla) said it had been stated that prickly-pear 
would not grow on black soil, but he would mention that about Jondaryan 
there was a very nice little patch of pear growing on very heavy soil, and he 
advised farmers not to let prickly-pear near their black soil, as he considered 
it would grow as well there as anywhere else. There were two kinds of 
prickly-pear in the colony, one of which grew to a great height, and which was 
quite differentfrom the common, orasmall-leaved, kind. Ag for the Noogoora 
burr, he had lately seen it at Roma, so that it was evident it was being spread 
—probably by cattle and sheep. As for the Bathurst burr, he took it the 
boards had power to make by-laws to compel land-owners to eradicate it. The 
Sida retusa was hardly known in the Maranoa and other Western districts at 
present. There was a Sida there, but he did not think it was the retusa. 
Another pest that had not yet been mentioned was the Johnson grass. It was 
all right, perhaps, for those who went in for grazing only, but it was a plant 
that once in a piece of land stayed there, and he would advise those who went 
in for cultivation to have nothing to do with it. 
Mr. H. E. Wyman (Ipswich), in replying, said that the powers given to 
divisional boards were all very well, but if a board would not frame a by-law 
there was no law to compel them to do so. What was wanted was an Act 
which would compel every board to take action in the matter of noxious weeds, 
and then there could be united effort for their eradication, The great object 
to be sought was the compulsory cleaning of roads and lands of noxious weeds. 
The Hon. J. V. Curaraway said he would not take up too much of their 
time, as there were a lot of resolutions yet to be brought forward, but he 
thought they ought to thank Mr. Wyman for his paper and the very interesting 
discussion that had followed. He was glad to hear that the lantana had some 
