1 Ava., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 127 
tobacco, and who have not met with the success that perhaps their efforts 
deserved, have attributed their failure to prejudice against the article they 
produced. They have obtained seed from a given country, but have failed to 
produce a satisfactory article, an article possessing aroma and other necessary 
qualifications, and they are consequently -disappointed. Now, I never commit 
myself as to whether a given district will grow a good tobacco or a bad one 
until I have seen or have information concerning the product of that given dis- 
trict. In North Queensland, of course, we must grow a cigar tobaceo. You 
cannot grow a heavy type of leaf ina warm climate. When I first came to 
Queensland, the manager of the Virginia Tobacco Works in Brisbane wrote me 
a personal letter on the subject of tobacco from North Queensland, and he told 
me he was particularly anxious to have the industry there revived, for the reason 
that, formerly, a most excellent cigar tobacco had been produced there; that through 
his agents in Sydney he had forwarded to Antwerp, the headquarters of the cigar 
tobacco trade, a sample of Cairns tobacco, and that the Antwerp firm to whom the 
tobacco had been sent immediately wrote to their agents in Sydney, speaking 
very highly of this tobacco. ‘This firm, too, offered to purchase tobaceo of this 
type. but there was none to sell, owing to its cultivation having been dis- 
continued in Cairns. Lately I had a communication from Mr. Heinecke anent 
the same subject, and I took the liberty of saying to him that he and the 
other tobacco manufacturers were at fault for this dropping of the industry. 
I told them that it was doubtless largely owing to their not having offered the 
farmers a price that would repay them for their labour that the local production of 
cigar leaf Rad fallen off, and now the article had to be imported from Manila and 
elsewhere. I think they see this, but whether they do or not is a matter of 
indifference to us. There are other markets besides Brisbane for cigar tobacco. 
‘Cigar tobacco in London is worth from 1s. up to 10s. per lb., and from 3s. to 
4s. per Ib. is not an unusual price. In the State of Florida, in the United 
States of America, where they have been growing tobacco since the Cuban 
revolution, and where the industry has had quite an impetus given to it, they 
have even thought the crop so valuable that they have been actually housing in 
their fields, with the result that the return has been as much as £200 per acre, 
They there cut two crops every year, including the ratoon crop. Mr. Mackay 
is quite right when he states that the return from cigar tobacco is from 4 to 5 
ewt. per acre, but in these Northern districts, where there is no frost, 
you will be able to take off two crops, and then you should reach an 
annual return in leaf of from 900 to 1,000 1b., which, at from 1s. 
to 15d. per |b. should make tobacco a profitable crop to the grower. 
We all know that the world has no more cigar tobacco than it wants. Pipe 
tobacco is more plentiful, and yet it has been found to be in Queensland a most 
profitable crop. I feel sure that if the farmers in the Cairns district, when they 
were formerly growing tobacco, had only known how to manipulate it they could 
have exported it, and they would have had to-day one of the best industries that 
they possibly have entered upon.. These are just outlines of the industry that 
Thaye given. But to give you an idea of some of the enormous profits that 
have accrued to others, I shall mention a few facts. I have not the figures 
before me, but they are at home, and if anyone desires further particulars 
T shall be glad to send them to him. Something like twenty-five years ago, 
the Sumatra Tobacco Company was started with a capital of £24,000. Since 
then no cash capital has been added to it. In 1893 they paid a dividend 
of 100 per cent., and the average of dividends since 1880 has been over 75 
percent. Their capital in 1894 was £321,000, with areserve fund of £400,000. 
This same company that has done this business, and which has realised these 
enormous profits, so far as J can learn, is the same Amsterdam firm which is 
sending an agent to the Cairns distriet to see whether it is not suitable for 
tobacco. This agent is to be out here about next J anuary, and this shows that 
there are some men who think there is a possibility of tobacco-growing being a 
success in Northern Queensland. 2 2 
Mr. Denman asked what labour was used in Sumatra ? 
