436 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Nov., 1899. 
Result: A wonderful growth of grass, and where the country was good, as much 
of it is, the grass was good too. I saw blue-grass country where one could have 
put in a mowing machine and cut away to further orders. I saw any amount 
of other valuable grasses which could haye been served in the same way. And 
what an opportunity to save and store! How many splendid haystacks might 
have been built this season in the Central district of feed which may possibly be 
wanted next year; and yet almost the whole of it was left to be cut by the 
hard frosts and then burnt off. I wonder how many ages must elapse before 
our Queensland settlers learn the wisdom contained in the Old Testament story 
about Joseph and the years of plenty and the years of famine! Or has the old 
Book got so much out of date now that people don’t read it? All the same, I 
think that story ought to be utilised by this Department in its instructions and 
advice to agriculturists. ; 
1t seemed an extraordinary thing to me that, with hay and chaff at starva- 
tion prices in the drought-stricken West, farmers in the more favoured. parts 
could not see the value of this material. And, even apart from that, there is 
the danger in front of them of a drought coming in their own part of the 
district at any time, and I am of the firm opinion that, if a drought set in now, 
the great majority of the settlers in the very parts where this splendid growth 
has occurred would have starving stock in no time. Moral: Save when you 
can, and if you don’t want it next year you will the year after that, perhaps ; 
certainly it will prove a blessed stand-by some day. My own idea is that a 
farmer ought to go on inereasing his reserve of feed each year as much as he 
vossibly can; then, some day, he may have a surplus for sale at drought prices, 
and that is the time when the farmer makes money. 
I remarked a while ago that the Central district is a big place. It is so; 
and if people want to have this fact forced on their attention, they just want to 
get on the Western mail at Rockhampton and go West. My work took me 
not only through the coastal portions of the district, but west as far as Bar- 
caldine. On the way, Emerald, Gindie and surrounding country, and Bogan- 
¢ungan and neighbourhood came in for a yisit. Emerald is a busy point on the 
Western line, as it is the junction for both the Springsure and Clermont lines, 
and the traffic and trade of these two lines, added to the business of the main 
line running on to Longreach, make things fairly lively at times Numbers of 
fat cattle and sheep trains are to be seen passing through en route for the 
coastal meatworks and butchering establishments; while for some time before 
T left Rockhampton, and for some time since, a more extensive though much 
less satisfactory business has been done in the way of trucking hundreds of 
thousands of unfortunate sheep from the drought-stricken Western country to 
the Peak Downs district, where a good season had been experienced. _A certain 
amount of fruitgrowing has been done about Emerald, with varying degrees of . 
suecess. ‘The dry climate is the great drawback, and an orchardist really wants 
a good water supply available to get the best results. Still, as much of the soil 
is of a sandy free nature, careful and deep cultivation will do wonders, and when 
the rain does come things grow in earnest. ; 
The list of fruits suitable for the district is not a very exclusive one, though 
it comprises enough to keep a man busy; for while the summer heat is great, 
and the weather often severely dry, the winter is much colder than many people 
would imagine. I saw some excellent oranges, and some splendid lemons of the 
Lisbon type, and in this latter line alone there is something well worthy of the 
careful attention of the growers as a most profitable crop. I also heard of first- 
class grapes being grown, but as it was the winter season I could only judge 
them by their growth. Not only here but at other places in the West the same 
matter came under my attention, and I am sure that in the near future our expert 
in that branch of work will find something satisfactory to deal with. I strongly 
advised growers to obtain his advice in-connection with this work. 
Fourteen miles out by the Springsure line is the Gindie State Harm, which 
T visited on duty for the first time. I need say nothing more now than that I 
shall be very much surprised if this farm does not make itself heard of shortly 
