432 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Nov., 1899. 
So much for the effects of good cultivation. What the wheat farmer has 
to reckon with is the weather—z.e., dry weather after the seed has sprouted, and 
muggy, wet weather when the ear is formed. In Queensland, wheat is sown 
from April to July. With genial showers during the growing season, and dry 
weather towards and during the harvest, the best results accrue. But there 
have been abnormally dry and abnormally wet seasons, which have dashed the 
farmer's hopes, and left him with either a scanty crop or with one heavily rusted. 
Never in the history of Queensland wheat-growing, however, has such a 
calamity occurred as a destructive frost in the month of October. At the 
beginning of that month the wheat crops all over the Darling Downs gaye 
promise of a rich harvest. Far and wide little was to be seen but vast stretches 
of country waving with billowy crops of wheat and barley just burst into ear. 
Suddenly, on the Ist and 2nd of the month, when all were rejoicing in the 
splendid harvest prospects, the calamitous frosts occurred, and shortly after- 
wards it was found that nearly the whole of the crops on the low lands were 
hopelessly ruined so far as any expectation of grain was concerned, and the 
disaster was intensified in some districts by a hailstorm which destroyed what 
the frosts had spared. : 
Before ‘such a crushing blow it would be expected that the farmers would 
be in despair, but, so far from this being the case, with indomitable energy they 
at once set to work to cut the damaged crops for hay, and, where nothing could 
be saved, to burn off the destroyed wheat and plough up the ground for a maize 
crop. Energy such as this is likely to meet with its reward. The Department 
of Agriculture took immediate steps to assist the farmers. As it was well 
known that wheat crops cut at the stage to which these had attained are in their 
finest condition for making a hay even superior to oaten hay in nutritive value, 
no time was lost in inviting the British Government, through our Agent- 
General, to place orders with the Agricultural Department in Queensland for a 
quantity of forage for the use of the troops in South Africa. At the same time 
investigations were made in the direction of ascertaining the probable quantity 
of hay which would be available. Inquiries were set on foot as to the pro- 
babilities of cargo space in suitable steamers; and information has been also 
obtained respécting the means available in Brisbane for dumping the farmers’ 
bales and bags. No time has thus been lost in getting all possible information, so 
that prompt action may be taken in any direction which may be decided upon. 
The price of oaten hay in South Africa varies considerably, according to 
whether the market is inland or at some British port. For instance, at Bloem- 
-fontein, the capital of the Orange Free State, it is worth £8 per ton; at 
Buluwayo, in Rhodesia, £15 15s.; at Durban, in Natal, £12; at Grahamstown, 
£7; at Johannesberg, £17 10s. ; at Kimberley, £10 10s.; at Port Alfred, £65s. ; 
and at Port Elizabeth, £9 s. ; 
These figures are taken from a Cape of Good Hope journal, and they were 
the prices ruling at those centres on 1st September. Since then war has begun, 
and there will probably be something like 40,000 horses and mules to feed. 
Doubtless large quantities of forage will be sent from the southern colonies and 
New Zealand, but there is no reason why, with a little pluck and energy on the part 
of our farmers, aided by the efforts of the Department of Agriculture, and by 
the Railway Department, Queensland should not have a yery considerable share 
in supplying the needful forage. ‘There is plenty «f time.. The newly cut hay 
must remain from six to eight weeks in the stack before it will be in fit condition 
to press and export. Meanwhile it is possible that some definite scheme may 
be arranged for placing this valuable asset on the South African market. Tf a 
clear profit of from £2 to £4: per ton can be made by shipping it, then the 
seeming calamity will indeed have proved a blessing in disguise, for, once the 
wheat is off the land, a crop of maize can be sown, and the profit on both hay 
and maize will reach a far higher figure than if the wheat had remained to be 
reaped for grain. ‘To those who still are of the opinion that the best proceeding 
will be to burn off the erop for the sake of enriching the land for a future crop, 
we would say—hold on a little longer.. There is a probability of a good market. 
