472 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Juyz, 1902. 
with him and listening to the words of wisdom and intelligence he had brought to 
bear on his study of the sugar industry. The Northern people were delighted with 
the results of his visit, and the Childers planters would have liked to retain him 
much longer than the Doctor’s time would permit. Speaking for himself, after 
many years’ experience in the growth and manufacture of sugar, he found that 
to-day, in the light of what he had learned from Dr. Maxwell, he (the speaker) 
was only a novice at the business. The methods of cultivation of which Dr. 
Maxwell would speak to them that afternoon had been the means of doublin 
the output of sugar in Hawaii, but they, in Queensland, had a lot to do before 
they could hope for similar results, and no doubt a gentleman such as Dr. 
Maxwell was required to help them to attain the high state of perfection to 
which they had brought sugar culture in the Sandwich Islands. 
Dr. Maxwell, in the course of his address, spoke strongly on the value of 
and the necessity for irrigation and manuring. 
Tn conversation with the Hon. Angus Gibson, he explained what he had 
succeeded in doing for the planters in Hawaii, where he had been for many years 
engaged in solving difficult problems in cane cultivation and sugar manufacture, 
and where such marvellous success had attended his work that lands, which 
formerly only produced 2 or 8 tons of sugar to the acre, had the yield 
raised to 10, 12, and even 14 tons per acre. Mr. Gibson had alread: 
had information as to the revolution in cane and sugar production in that island 
as the result of Dr. Maxwell’s operations and advice. He was consequently 
quite prepared to experiment on his own cultivation and to adopt suggestions, 
especially as they tallied so remarkably with his own observations, experience, 
and aspirations. Accordingly, he promptly decided to lay down a large plant 
and carry the Burnett waters over the whole of his extensive canefields. Dr. 
Maxwell thought it would be better to “go slow” at first, and it was just as easy 
to gain experience on 100 acres as on 1,000, with the great advantage that 
fundamental errors made in the first case would not be ruinous to the 
experimenter. 
Accordingly a smal) plant was laid down, and thus was irrigation initiated 
on the Burnett River. The results were so gratifying to the proprietors that 
Mr. James Gibson set off for an extended tour to various countries of Europe, 
to visit as many places as possible where the latest features of irrigation were 
to be studied. A. shrewd, observant, business-like man, very little escaped his 
notice or failed to be carefully noted. On his way back he went to Hawaii, 
and there saw for himself all that had been achieved by agricultural and 
engineering science in the way of irrigation, drainage, and manuring under Dr. 
Maxwell’s advice. 
On his return, the partners deliberated over all the systems of irrigation 
which he described, and it was finally decided to undertake the enterprise on a 
large scale. They were the more satisfied that the large expenditure would be 
amply justified, as they had tangible evidence of the value of irrigation on 
their first field, which had yielded about 50 tons of cane per acre. Orders were 
accordingly placed with Walkers Limited, at Maryborough, for the whole 
plant. Whilst the machinery was being manufactured, accurate levels were 
‘taken of the whole area to be operated on, and the care and precision with 
which this difficult, but necessary, work was carried out are shown in the even 
and gentle flow of the water along the main drains. Where it was found that 
there was too steep a declivity, the land was built up to prevent the water 
passing away too rapidly and so not soaking into the soil, Where there 
occurred an up-gradient, it was cut down, and thus throughout the whole area, 
‘both by these means and by flood-gates, an even course with a general gentle 
incline was secured. 
Readers of our papers on “ First Steps in Agriculture” will have noted: 
that we advised small farmers not to irrigate land situated high above the 
water supply. The expense of lifting water increases with every foot of 
a an 
el 
