396 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 May, 1902. 
last awake to the fact, and has undertaken a series of reboisement works, an 
account of which was read at the International Congress of Sylviculture 
of 1900 in Paris by M. Ricardio Codorniz, chief engineer thereof. There is 
plenty of moisture in the sea breezes, but nothing to condense it on to the hot — 
mountains. In the mountains the rainfall is divisible into the same kinds of 
fractions as in the plains, with this difference, that the proportion of surface 
flow, being zero in the plain, becomes considerable on the mountain. The quan- 
tities a, b, d, e, may first be examined. The quantity a has not been directly 
determined, and the plains results cannot be quite applicable on account of the 
preponderance of snow, and the great differences of intensity and distribution. 
The evaporation from the soil surface 4 must be less than in the plains, because 
the temperature becomes lower as the altitude increases. For the same reason 
the water fixed in or evaporated by the plants, e, is also less, as may be verified 
by the proportion of ashes. ‘The growing season is shorter and heat less great. 
Consequently the transpiration is less and the quantity of organic matter formed. 
annually per acre is smaller. At Aschaffenburg (400 feet) a thousand beech 
leaves will cover about 35 square feet, while at 4,000 feet, near the upper limit 
of the species, the same number of leaves will only cover about 9 square feet. 
The percentage of ashes and the total weight are also less, being 4°03 per cent. 
for beech and 3°58 per cent. for spruce, against 9°91 and 10°19 respectively. 
Even the grass at high levels contains one-half less ash than in the valleys.— 
Indian Forester. 
REMOUNTS FROM AUSTRALIA. 
The possibilities in connection with horse-breeding for military purposes 
are daily increasing. It only needs that the right stamp of horse be bred—not 
tall, weedy animals which spend half-a-day in bucking, and the afternoon in 
recovering from their exertions, or animals which can do a spin of a mile or so in 
quick time, and are then too knocked up to do more than a crawl. What is 
wanted for active and effective military work is a strong well-built pony, such 
an animal as was lately commended in South Africa by the remount officer who 
denounced the majority of one of the last shipments of horses from Australia. 
The nuggets, he said, were excellent animals in every way. Apart from South 
Africa and India, another market is now opening up for our horses. We learn 
that the Netherlands-India Government has sent Captain A. Posno, a remount 
officer for that Government, to Adelaide, with the view of inquiring into the 
prospect of obtaining remounts forthe Dutch Army in Java. ‘There is a large 
standing army in that island, and several cavalry and horse-artillery regiments. 
Australia has been selected as a country from which remounts may be obtained. 
Captain Posno has already arranged for a trial shipment of ponies from New 
South Wales, and, should this prove a success, arrangements will be made for 
further shipments as they are required. The style of animal required is what 
our Government has aimed at obtaining for the latest contingents for South 
Africa—good, well-bred ponies of about 14:2 hands, preferably ‘‘ nuggets,” 
which can stand hard work without knocking up -just when they are most 
needed. 
There is no better country in the world for breeding horses of all classes 
than Australia, and Queensland which now furnishes large number of horses 
to the army in South Africa, as well as to that of India, can on her wide 
pastoral lands raise horses enough to supply the heaviest demand. It is merely 
a question of price. From the adelaide Observer we learn that the Netherlands- 
India Government paid from £13 to £15 per head for the ponies from New 
South Wales, Captain Posno stating that his Government want good saddle- 
ponies of the small thoroughbred sort. ‘We want a first-class animal, and 
will pay good money for it.” 
