1 Jan., 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 1L 
Four miles from the village is a butter factory under the management of 
Mr. Deitz, which was started eight years ago, and is a paying concern, about 14 
tons of butter being turned out daily. ‘There is ample cold-storage room 
provided, and the butter is made by means of one 600-lb. concussion churn, one 
of 300-lb. capacity, and one 150-lb. butter worker. 
The factory business is increasing so much that a large factory is to be 
built in the village near the railway station. 
On the western side is the Lowood Co-operative Creamery, at which 400 
to 500 lb. of cream are produced daily. : 
Some attention is paid to viticulture, Mr. Sutteridge having a thriving 
vineyard, and which in the season returns some 150 cases of grapes per acre. 
Some wine is also made, and honey also is produced. 
Mr. Lindemann’s dairy, at the rear of the station, turns out about 40 
gallons of milk at each milking. The separator is driven by an oil engine. 
Lowood possesses a well-equipped State school with an average attend- 
ance of 150 children. The teacher is Mr. Lawson, who also holds the rank of 
captain in the 4th Regiment. 
- Military matters and rifle-shooting are not neglected. Sergeant-Major 
Bailey, of the Fourth Darling Downs Regiment, is the instructor. Lowood 
has the honour of having a representative of its military in South Africa— 
Lieutenant-Colonel Flewell Smith, who went ont in command of one of the late 
contingents, and now holds an important military command in the Dark 
Continent. 
At one time a considerable timber business was carried on at Lowood, and 
there is a large sawmill, with extensive moulding machinery, in the place. 
Altogether, Lowood is a very thriving village, and all industries are on 
the up-grade. Our illustrations were taken by our artist, Mr. H. W. Mobsby, 
and, although necessarily of small dimensions owing to the exigencies of space, 
afford a very fair idea of the place and of the beauty of the surroundings. 
FLAXGROWING. 
With freetrade between the States of the Commonwealth, it behoves our 
farmers to have more than one string to their bow, so that, in the event of 
large importations of one class of agricultural products, the competition with 
Southern producers may not be so severely felt as if only one or two classes of 
crops, such as wheat and maize, potatoes and maize, or lucerne, are grown. 
Amongst the crops for which there is an unlimited market, we may consider 
flax as one of the most remunerative. 
In January last year we gave the experience of Messrs. Woolfe Brothers, 
of Traralgon, who grew a crop of 70 acres for a net return, including the 
Government bonus of £2 per acre and of £5 per ton on flax manufactured, 
of £9 2s. per acre. Messrs. Woolfe Brothers, however, only grew for seed, 
and the net return was shown at £5 12s. per acre, the flax being pulled 
by hand. By the use of the reaper and binder the return would have been 
eater. 
dd Last year those gentlemen put 170 acres under flax, and the resulting 
crop averaged £16 per acre, leaving a net profit, after paying wages and 
including the Government bonus of £2 per acre, of £7 per acre. 
Writing to the Leader on this subject, Mr. Hermann Woolfe says :— 
As to the land adapted for flax, any good black, grey, or chocolate soil 
which will grow a good crop of barley, wheat, or potatoes, will grow flax, good 
potato land for choice. When to sow? In our district, Gippsland, near 
Traralgon, we find the months of April, May, and June the most suitable, as 
this gives the crop the full benefit of the spring weather, and likewise ensures 
the seed getting ripe before the caterpillars are able to do any serious harm. 
Should the pest attack the crop during the blooming stage, or before the seed. 
is nearly ripe, they will probably take all the seed, although not doing any 
