1 DeEc., 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 399 
Agriculture. 
WHEAT HARVEST ON THE DOWNS. 
Tuere are two crops grown in Queensland which, as the harvest time comes 
round in the vicissitude of the seasons, have an especial interest for a ver 
large section of the community, not only of Queensland but of the neighbouri y 
colonies. ; cas 
These two crops are sugar and wheat. Coming to maturity as they do 
almost simultaneously, a» couple of months before Christmas, the SaaS 
yields of each class of product are the universal topic of interest to fie eneral 
public. And no wonder that it should be so. The very life of. a prints 
depends on its food supplies, and on no other article of that supply so apieh 
as on wheat. 
As a product which is an enormous factor in wealth production, sugar 
holds a pre-eminent position in tropical countries, but without the siaft of 
life—wheat—the world could not move along as it does, notwithstanding the 
vast supplies of maize and other cereals so largely used in many countries as 
a substitute for wheat. Rye, oats, barley, buckwheat, and many other grains 
form the staple food of nations, many of whom have their being close to or 
within the Arctic circle. Under the latter conditions, not only is rye a luxury 
—one which is the source of the Russian and Seandinavian black bread—but 
in some parts even this gives place to the dried inner bark of certain varieties 
of pine-trees. Here it is that a wealthy man is described as one who eats 
white bread on festive occasions ! 
In Queensland we are reduced to no such straits. It has been proved 
that wheat of the best varieties will not only grow but will produce heavy 
crops from the New South Wales border to the southern limit of the most 
tropical portions of the colony. 
‘lake the Central districts west of Rockhampton. There we have seen 
wheatfields which have far exceeded in produce the famous South Australian 
wheat districts. In this issue of the Journal we illustrate wheat grown at 
Emerald this season, which would put to the blush any southern wheats. In 
fact, we do not as yet realise the enormous area of land adapted to wheat- 
growing which we possess in this marvellously fertile country of Queensland. 
Last year we produced over 1,000,000 bushels, and the average yield was 
17 bushels, in round numbers, per acre. It is easy to understand that to obtain 
such an average over the whole of the wheat-growing centres there must have 
been many hundreds of acres which yielded tar more, even up to 30 and 40 
bushels per acre. Rust and unsuitable conditions always tend to reduce the 
average. : 
This year the rust has been conspicuous by its absence, as a general rule 
The harvesting operations have not exhibited the spectacle of men, horses, and 
reapers enveloped in a cloud of red rust. On the contrary, the finns Aint flac 
have proved almost clean, and had it not been for the abnormally dry season. 
experienced since the first sowings in May, broken only by one or two ehorene 
the yield all over the colony must have been a record one. ; 
As it is, there appears to be little doubt that from 600,000 to 700,000 
bushels will be the total output for the season, notwithstanding the fact that 
so much more land has come under wheat cultivation during the past year 
Celebrated as are the Darling Downs for their great industry, it is not 
surprising that universal attention should be directed to its progress as each 
year brings its harvest. ‘Ihe dry weather, which has hitherto militated against 
the rapid growth of any crop—be it wheat, maize, potatoes, or any other staple 
product—has been most fayourable to the progress of the wheat harvest on the 
Downs. 
