1 Jury, 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 9 
Miscamble (Roma), G. Turner (Bowen), A. M. Stephens (Hambledon), I. 
Andrews (Nerang), and Peter McLean (Agricultural Department)—the last- 
named gentleman to be convener. 
On the motion of Mr. McLean, it was decided that delegates should not 
speak more than once on one subject, nor longer than five minutes; the reader 
-of a paper, however, to be allowed ten minutes to reply. 
BUSINESS FROM WARWICK CONFERENCE. 
Mr. McLean reported on the action that had been taken with reference to 
‘the resolutions of the last Conference. The resolution relative to noxious 
-weeds had been forwarded to the proper authorities, in order that its recom- 
mendations might be included in the Local Government Bill. In consequence 
-of Mr. Deacon’s motion on the subject of malting barley, the Department of 
Agriculture had sent to England for seed of certain varieties of malting barley. 
Previous to that, the Department had imported seed of two excellent varieties 
-which were now being cultivated on the State farms. As for the paper by 
Mr. Castles, he was sorry to say that shortly after the last Conference Mr. 
‘Chataway took seriously ill, and practically little had been done in connection 
with the resolution relative to that paper. A copy of the resolution suggesting 
the stricter enforcement of the Diseases in Plants Act had been sent to all the 
horticultural and agricultural societies of the State, with a request for an opinion 
thereon. The replies in the great majority of cases had been against the spirit 
of the resolution. He might state that the strict enforcement of the Act would 
probably necessitate an annual expenditure approaching £10,000. At present 
the Department were depending largely on the fruitgrowers themselves to carry 
‘out the provisions of the Diseases in Plants Act. In compliance with the 
-wishes of the Conference, the Government had introduced and passed through 
the Legislative Assembly a Bill dealing with the subject of agricultural credit. 
As they were all doubtless aware, however, the Bill had been thrown out in the 
Upper House. 
Mr. W. Deacon, of Allora, then read the following paper on :— 
FARMERS’ ORGANISATIONS. 
There are scattered throughout the State of Queensland about 130 organisations 
connected either with the pastoral, agricultural, or horticultural industries; as a 
glance at the last page of the valuable journal published monthly by the Agricultural 
ibejucnsaitst will show. Their purposes are various, but the main and almost the sole 
object kept in view by many of them is the holding of an annual show. Now, I donot 
propose to any way to disparage such associations. These shows bring the farmers 
together, and they learn what their neighbours are doing. They prove the fitness of 
the district for various products, and bring to light any new varieties of its staples 
‘also. Besides, the presence of the experts of the Agricultural Department affords an 
‘opportunity to the real, live, and earnest farmer to get into contact with them, and 
acquire valuable information. The experts also, by noting any special excellence in 
the exhibits they are judging, can and often do discover the adaptation of the district 
for certain products—in other words, those which find a sataral Woine there. Besides, 
the show is the farmer’s day—his only holiday sometimes for the year—and I submit, 
as such, is preferable to the eternal races which formerly no rural district, however 
small, was able to dispense with. Nor have I much sympathy with those who hold 
that, because some central town has an annual show, no other place within a radius 
of from thirty to forty miles has a right to hold one. Small country shows are often 
naturally, both in the number and excellence of their purely agricultural exhibits, 
superior to those of the large towns; for farmers will not take their milking cows, 
their draught stock, their pigs, and their products of field and garden long distances. 
Neither the honour conferred by the certificates when they get them, nor the amount 
of the prizes in the current coin of the realm, compensate them for the expense 
incurred or for the too often loss of their exhibits. Nearly every village in England 
has now its annual cottage show, and why we, in important farming centres although 
not populous, should be continually lectured about small shows [ cannot conceive. 
Although an annual exhibition may be the main object of these associations, the 
farmers at the meetings do not confine their conversation to prize schedules and 
by-laws; they exchange ideas, and compare notes about seed, crops, and stock, 
