1 Ave, 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. — 129 
Mr. Groron Porr (Proserpine): It is a well-known fact that colonial 
tobacco up to date has been of a very inferior quality, and even an aboriginal 
will tell you that. When he ‘cance tobacco he always asks for Derby, 
which is a pretty good proof of the quality of the colonial leaf. I would be 
glad to know whether this inferiority is due to the leaf or to the manufacture. 
Mr. R. S. Nevitn: The tobacco that is grown in the Texas district is 
certainly of very fair quality, but all colonial tobacco does not come from Texas. 
They are not growing it now in these unsuitable districts, but manufacturers have 
still stocks on hand of leaf from these latter places, and occasionally use them. 
The article, however, that is manufactured from the pure Texas leaf is a very 
good smoking tobacco. I smoke it myself, and I know of several other gentle- 
men who do. There are plenty of others also who would use it if they were not 
afraid of their friends smelling their smoke and of thus losing their reputation 
for smoking good tobacco. I do not claim to be an authority on tobacco 
manufacture, but I confess there are some features of the processes here that I 
would alter if I attempted the business. For instance, they use sugar here. 
We do use sugar in the States sometimes as a disinfectant, but not on smoking 
tobacco. Neither in Great Britain nor in the United States, however, is sugar 
used for the same purpose as here in the manufacture of smoking tobacco. 
Aromatic gums are, on the contrary, used. Sugar imparts an unpleasant 
flavour to the tobacco, although, I understand, some people cultivate a taste for 
it and rather like it. 
COFFEE. 
Dr. Tiomarts (Cairns), inintroducing the subject, said: have been desired by 
the Kuranda people to see that the coffee industry is discussedat this Conference, 
and considering its importance I shall, with your permission, gentlemen, make a 
few remarks on the subject. What has been said with regard to the quality of 
Queensland tobacco has also been said of Queensland coffee. When we first 
sent it to the South the reply was. “No price; and if you cannot grow better 
coffee you had better leave it alone.” This, of course, threw a great damper on. 
the industry, and for two or three years our growers knocked off planting. Still 
we had a few trees, and I had the good sense to send a sample to Hurope. I got 
avery favourable report on it, and it is only six months ago since my coffee 
received a special prize at the Marseilles Exhibition. As Marseilles is one of 
the leading ports for coffee in the world, I think such recognition is good proof 
of the value of Queensland coffee. In the Cairns district there are at present 
400 acres under coffee, where two years ago there were not 50 acres. I am 
pleased to say the Government has given us an expert, who is now amongst us 
and is teachng us what we should do. Iam sorry Mr. N ewport is not here, 
but he has other duties to perform—in fact, too many. Some people will 
say coffee requires a large capital, and that it is only a rich man who can 
0 in for it. If that were so, it would preclude a large number of us 
rom going in for it; but let me tell you that there is no such thing 
as the necessity for a large capital for coffee-growing. Mr. Newport thought 
the same thing. When he came to my place, he saw I had not takem 
away the stumps and logs, that I had planted rice between the coffee-trees, 
and he was rather astonished, my system being a new revelation to him. 
“What! ‘Two crops on the one land! That will never do.” But, I said, 
“Wait till I get my rice, and then I shall have a few pounds for working 
expenses.” Finally he said I was doubtless right. Coffee can be grown. very 
cheaply in Queensland. A crop of corn or rice between the plants will not 
hinder them in any way. In fact, in windy weather it serves to act as a break- 
wind, and in hot weather as a shade. It is actually beneficial besides being 
remunerative. You all know that in coffee count 
ries shade trees are planted 
for the coffee trees. These bananas and acacias, the trees generally employed, 
mean extra labour, expense, and time. Instead, therefore, of trying these, I 
experimented with rice, and this year I reaped a very fair crop of paddy from 
30 acres of coffee that I have planted, which has almost paid my expenses in. 
