122 ‘QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Fes., 1902. 
have a bed to dig for market each year. Well-dried ginseng root is worth now 
from 4:25 dollars to 5°75 dollars (18s. to £1 15s.) per lb., and the cultivated 
root is worth still more, and is more even in size, of a nicer shape, and better 
in every way than the wild root. My lowest estimate on 1 acre planted in 
ginseng, and allowed to grow for five years, at the price it is sold at to-day, 18 
35,000 dollars (£7,000) for roots alone, and the seed crop on 1 acre for five 
years would be great. You can always find a market for your seed. ‘There 
are but few ginseng farms in the United States at the present time, but in my 
opinion in the next ten years there, will be a great number. 
[The only wonder to our mind is that there are not already hundreds of 
ginseng farms in the United States. Five } acres should satisfy any reasonable 
man’s desires.—Hd. Q.4.J.] 
THE ROMA CO-OPERATIVE FLOUR-MILLING COMPANY. 
Ever since this Journal was presented to the agricultural world, we have - 
persistently advocated co-operation amongst farmers of every branch of their 
profession, but the idea is very slowly being absorbed by the conservative — 
agriculturists. ; 
We have, however, one good instance of the value of co-operation in the 
case of the abovenamed milling company. In an exhaustive report sent to US_ 
from Roma, the history of the formation of this company is detailed at length, 
and we regret that, owing to exigencies of space, we are unable to publish the 
voluminous extracts on the subject taken from the Western Star and Maranoa 
Advocate. The history of the successful establishment of the company, which 
was mainly due to the energy and enthusiasm of Mr. F. E. Glazier, one of the 
present directors, and Messrs. T. Shanahan, J. Nimmo, G. Hornecks, of Wallum: | 
billa, Mr. P. Fallon, Mitchell, and Mr. J. M. Hunter, who has been the 
backbone of the mill, is detailed in the above journals. 
On the 22nd March, 1898, matters were so far advanced that a provisional 
directorate was formed ; and four months later 2,630 shares had been taken up, 
the deposits were paid, and the company was declared floated. 
When the tender for the erection of the mill was accepted, the company’s 
credit balance was a little over £2,000, including £1,750. Government advance, 
the latter to be repaid in fourteen years with 5 per cent. added. The price of the 
mill to be handed over in working order was £2,287, and was meetin on a piece 
of freehold land 8 roods 7 perches in extent, purchased at the upset price a 
£100 per acre. 
The whole of the material and plant was conveyed by rail at a reduced 
rate of 50 per cent. . 
On 26th April, 1900, the mill started gristing, and everything was found to 
run smoothly. Up to this time, the total cost had reached to something ove 
£3,672—£1,500 of which had been received from the Government in considera 
tion of a bill of sale and mortgage covering the entire property. 
At the end of the first year it was resolved to pay the managing director 
£50 per annum, and each of the other directors 10s. per monthly sitting. 
In October, 1900, £370 was expended in building a wheat shed estimated 
to store 12,000 bags of wheat. 
At the third annual meeting in 1901 the directors, notwithstanding the 
adverse season, had a most satisfactory report to lay before the shareholders, 
there being a profit of £572 16s. 8d. for the time the mill had been at work 
After writing off 2 per cent. on the value of the machinery, plant, buildings, 
&e., a dividend of 5 per cent. on the subscribed capital was paid in paid-up 
scrip, and £140 11s. 8d. was placed to a reserve fund. 
In moving the adoption of the report, the chairman said that never in the 
history of Roma had better prices been paid for wheat when the price paid fot 
flour was considered. This was largely due to the farmers having a mil 
their own. 
