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eect cilia’ 
1 Aprin, 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. : 227 
Agriculture. 
FIRST STEPS IN AGRICULTURE. 
2np Lesson. - 
THIRD STAGE. 
By A.J.B. 
Farminea Foresr Lanp. 
Much ot the best agricultural land is covered more or less with timber of 
yarious kinds, mainly gums, ironbark, apple-tree, and box. 
Tronbark, however, like stringy bark, prefers stony ridges, which are 
unsuitable for farming, however valuable they may be for fruit and vine 
growing. If you take up forest land, it is, of course, with the intention of 
combining grazing and dairy farming with general agriculture. This means 
three things. First, a good water supply either from a good creek or permanent 
water-hules. Second, good grazing and good arable land. Third, good shelter 
for stock in winter cold or summer heat. Never take up land on hearsay. Go 
and examine it. If you doubt your own judgment, get some well-qualified 
judge of country to accompany you. ; 
If, after inspection, you are satisfied with the conditions, it will be well for 
you to lay out your plans before you start to clear and fence. Choose a site for 
your house on rising ground and near a water supply. Don’t build your hut on 
the best part of the site, because some day you will want to build a good 
substantial weather-board, brick, or even stone house. Therefore leave room to 
do so without having to remove the original buildings until they are replaced by. 
better ones 
Tf the forest timber is of fair size, you willbe able to get all your fencing 
material out of it as you clear. When the trees are far apart on the land 
selected for cultivation, there is no need to grub out every stump at first. 
After disposing of the tree, cut the side roots close to the stump. You can 
then plough close to it without danger. When you have more leisure you can 
get rid of the stumps either by grubbing or burning them out. , 
As soon as you have enough fencing stuff, start putting up the fence, first 
hauling the posts on to the line. There is no need to tell you how to erect the 
fence and to stretch the wire, as you need only observe what your neighbour 
has done to avoid mistakes. See that the straining posts are well and deeply 
strutted. This is a most important matter. As your clearing and fencing 
should be carried on simultaneously, by the time your first cultivation paddock 
is ready for the plough it will be fenced in. Then you are ready for the first 
breaking up. How this is to be done will depend on the nature of the natural 
grass and herbage. I will give you an example of a serious mistake I once 
made in the matter of breaking up new land. JI had fenced in about 40 acres 
of a rich, black soil flat. The blady grass was very thick and high, and several 
acres were covered with a dense growth of ferns. The work was given out on 
contract at £1 per acre. The contractor employed bullocks. Instead of first 
mowing down the tall grass or even ploughing shallow, he cut furrows 1 foot 
wide and 8 inches deep, with the result that the subsequent cross-ploughing and 
harrowing were useless. The land was merely thrown into huge irregular 
lumps, and in the end an area of 18 acres cost me over £6 per acre before I 
put a crop into it. That came of not attending to the work myself. There is 
a proverb which says, “The eye of the master is worth both his hands.” And 
this is very true. Unless you elect to do the work yourself, you must keep 
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