280 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Apri, 1902. 
house shown in the illustration is doomed, so is the lake beyond. There will be 
a sand-hill here until the wood has rotted ; then the sand will disperse onward 
unless checked by vegetation, and then only possibly for a time; but in the 
meantime the said goes onward over the obstruction and on either side. 
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House in Process or Burran By SAND-pRIFT, CopHam LAKE HomEstTeap. 
There is only one means at the disposal of men to fight this, and it is 
Nature’s own —namely, plant wind-b eaks to windward of the sand districts and 
at distances down the course of the prevailing winds; if necessary, across, chess- 
board plan, and form large paddocks by belts of vegetation. 
This is, of course, a national work. So is the property to be saved national 
property—so is the question, Shall we safeguard the land in the line of advance 
of the sand? If it be good to do anything, do that good with as little delay as 
possible, lest greater difficulties present themselves with a far greater loss. 
This country (in which the evil is so apparent) has a rainfall as low as 
5 inches. That restricts us with the heat and the nature of the ground to a 
special kind of vegetation, but fortunately Nature provides it, and uses it 
(apparently for the especial purposes for which it is wanted here) in South 
Africa, South America, Tropical America, the Brazils, and Mexico, in which 
countries some varieties are used as fences. They come in the form of 
numerous useful fodder plants under the natural order Crctacee. They are 
mostly leafless and thorny, live in sand soils. sending roots after moisture like 
many growths, some varieties for many yards. 
It must be mentioned that there is less evaporation from sandy soil than 
from any other. All moisture that falls upon sand is, in the main, absorbed 
and held, gradually falling, the extreme surface sand preventing its evaporation. 
This was shown practically a few years back, when the Sydney Press advertised 
that the Botany sand could only yield three weeks’ further water, whereas it 
. went on giving water for months, and was not exhausted, although repeated 
warnings were given. Hence 5 inches of rain retained in the sand is better 
than 20 inches that run off. 
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