I Noy., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 435 
One drawback to this part. of the country, and indeed to all the country 
about Rockhampton, is its patchy character. There are miles of it that won't 
pay for fencing in so far as fruitgrowing is concerned, and settlers need to 
exercise considerable caution in making a choice of what is to be their home. 
Too often—sadly too often—we find seople settling on a piece of country, and - 
going in for one line of work or another, with the certainty of doing nothing 
but spending what money they have, and failing utterly in the not distant 
future. It pays neither the people themselves nor the country to have things 
going on in this way, and I am of the opinion that it would be vastly better if this 
Department were first consulted by people in search of land yet lacking the 
knowledge or experience needed to ensure a safe choice being made. It isa 
Most serious matter for a man to start with his family on a place which he 
shortly finds is practically useless; and then after he has committed himself, 
and spent what he had, wake up to an idea of what might have been. 
Fruitgrowers in the neighbourhood of Rockhampton have one thing to do 
how as a start in production, and that is: Stop the importation of bananas and 
oranges from other ports. I saw on the “ Arawatta,” when returning from 
Mackay to Rockhampton, a big consignment of both these fruits, which simply 
meant, to my mind, that the local growers were a long way behind where they 
ought to be. 
F This is a partial reply to the question asked by many I came in contact 
with—viz., ‘What about markets when we produce?” Our Queensland 
growers all through the country don’t seem to be capable of looking broadly at 
things. To hear some of them talk, one would think that the colony had just 
about reached the limit of her development, and that the outside ‘world was 
already stocked up with a lot of the commodities which we ean very easily 
produce. A very little study should alter their ideas on these points. 
My reply to those who fear that we shall over-produce is—* First feed 
yourselves and then start feeding the world, and take care that you give the 
outside world the best article obtainable; then you need have no fear.’ Who 
can say what the production and the output will be in a comparatively few 
years right along our coast country, not only in citrus fruits, pines, bananas, 
eee uit, mangoes, and a number of other things, not only in the raw state, 
ut preserved in various ways. Queensland ought some day to be doing one of 
the biggest marmalade trades in the world, and other things will come about 
too, and the Rockhampton country ought to have a share of the business. I 
for one will be-much disappointed if it does not. 
I do not expect this to come about at once, but I do expect people to get 
things started in that direction at once, and pex away with a clear idea in their 
own minds as to what they hope to attain. Hitherto, production has been going 
on in a very disjointed sort of a way. There has been a serious lack of general 
knowledge in many directions, and very considerable uncertainty as to results. 
All this we hope to see changed, and my mission in this district was to help 
to change it, by giving the necessary information in the various branches of 
work. What is needed is a clear idea of what is possible, and how it is possible, 
and then persistent work on the very best lines until we get there. 
Several other parts of the country, more immediately around Rockhampton, 
present conditions very fayourable for successful production. The most repre- 
sentative farming section is out at the Agricultural Reserve, apatch of ve 
good “downs” country, some 12 or 14 miles from the city. Unfaetinntslee 
only had one day’s flymg trip out there, and was unable to see anything like as 
much as I wished, but Iam under engagement to go again and “do” the place 
thoroughly. I was very pleased indeed with the quality of the land so far as I 
looked at it, and I saw ample evidence that it can grow good crops. Crops for 
hay and chaff are the principal line so far as I coul judge. 
While talking about hay crops, I must mention one thing that struck me 
over and over again while travelling about the Central district. 
The season had been a splendid one for growth right away out as far as the 
Peak Downs and Springsure. Through all the country near the coast the ticks 
had thinned out the cattle until in some places there were hardly any left at all, 
