186 ’ QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ava., 1898. 
friends, because it was one of the easiest of things to eradicate, because it 
kept down weeds, and because it put back into the soil every bit of what it 
took out, and more. Of course it could not be removed from the land by 
being simply looked at and called a terrible pest, but otherwise its eradication 
was simple enough. As for prickly-pear, he might mention that he once 
managed the place in New South Wales where prickly-pear was first planted 
in Australia. It was twenty-four years ago when he was there, and on the 
place was an old lady who had beena nursegirl there some sixty years before, 
and she told him of the care with which the original prickly-pear had been then 
attended to. Instructions were given her by the then owner of the place 
(Dr. Carlyle) to look specially after the strange plant which was going to 
make all their fortunes, the prickly-pear having been introduced with a view 
of cultivating on it the eadtinenl insect, although, as a matter of fact, it 
was discovered afterwards that the wrong kind had been obtained. When 
he (Mr. Chataway) took charge of the estate, already more than 1,000 acres 
of it were absolutely ruined through prickly-pear. In some paddocks there 
were not even the bridle-tracks mentioned by Mr. O’Keefe. There was just 
enough room for a few wild pigs to get into it. Every effort was made to get 
the pear under. Great pig-yards were erected, and immense boilers purchased. 
Horses were very cheap at the time—colts and fillies being obtainable at from 
4s. to 10s. a head—and between 300 and 400 pigs were fed on boiled horses 
and prickly-pear. ‘This, however, made very little impression on the pear, and, 
in any event, after seven or eight months’ time the pigs would eat no more of 
it. He always remembered that when he heard people talk of feeding stock 
on prickly-pear. Another plan tried was to build immense piles of pear on 
a foundation of logs. The piles sank rapidly, and they were added to 
month after month by having more pear thrown on to them. The pear in 
the piles melted away, and was finally burnt. When burning, prickly- 
pear was extremely fempting to the smell, and he remembered at the 
time that many bullocks were badly singed trying to get at the burning mass. 
Even that was not the best way of dealing with the pear. The best way that 
he found was to take a narrow gully, log it across with timber, and throw the 
prickly-pear into it, and as the stuff sank keep on piling more on to it. In 
that way he had got rid of thousands and thousands of tons of pear, and 
even then when the land was cleared the work was not really done, the 
little spines coming up again in millions year after year. ‘Iwenty years 
afterwards he again visited the estate, and found that the prickly-pear 
had been finally banished from it; but it had been done at a cost of from 
£25 to £27 per acre. It was enough to frighten anyone. _ Prickly-pear was 
the most awful pest they could get on to their land; and if anyone thought 
that because he had the tall sort, or any other sort, it was not dangerous, he 
was inaking a very grievous mistake. Birds carried prickly-pear about in a most 
marvellous manner. Let them often look at adead beast, and they would find 
thousands of seeds that had been dropped on it by crows from prickly- 
pear country. 
RESOLUTIONS. 
The following resolutions was then adopted :-— 
Proposed by Mr. C. Marxs (Kolan), and seconded by Mr, E. Swayne 
(Mackay )— 
“That in the opinion of this Conference it is necessary that Parliament 
pass an Act providing for an efficient inspector of weighbridges, weighing- 
machines, weights and measures; also giving the vendors of agricultural 
produce, or associated bodies of the same, the power to appoint a check clerk 
or agent to check the weighing or analysis of their produce at the place of 
delivery to the buyer, or wherever its weight or value may be determined ; and 
that the Government be requested to introduce such legislation next session as 
shall. provide that all owners of weighbridges, weighing-machines, &e., shall 
