1 Juty, 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 15 
-and territories of the American union, with a total membership of 2,500,000. 
Its chief mission was a temporary one, and has since been fulfilled. Strong 
combinations of farmers for the attainment of specifie purposes exist in 
Europe, America, and Australia. The utility of most of these is not to be 
disputed. Co-operative companies and associations are formed for specific 
objects and on commercial bases. The Chamber of Agriculture I should like 
to see formed would be like the Bureau of Agriculture of South Australia. It 
consists of a central bureau of sixteen members chosen by the Government 
and agriculturists, and includes a chairman and secretary. Permanent officials 
of the Agricultural Department, such as Professors Lowrie and Perkins, are 
members of it. Meetings are held monthly, and in the year ending the 30th 
June, 1900, it arranged for the Agricultural Congress at Adelaide, and for 
meetings of branch conferences at seven different places. It sent out seeds 
and manures for experimental purposes at schools; collected and disseminated 
information about the wheat harvest, the use of fertilisers, the improvement of 
stock, the dairying industry, forestry, horticulture, and viticulture, animal 
pests, winter irrigation, and agricultural education. The conferences arranged are 
for the benefit of members of branch bureaux in particular localities. Related 
to the Central Bureau are branch bureaux composed of twelve or more members 
These branch bureaux meet monthly, and members read papers and discuss 
matters of general and particular interest to themselves. Last year 273 papers 
were read at bureau meetings, and the best of these are published in the Journal 
of .igriculture. These branch bureaux are asked by the Central Bureau to 
-express their opinion on questions which come up from time to time, such as 
taxing stallions, &c. They also have the privilege of submitting questions for 
the consideration of the Central Bureau. In the Journal of Agriculture of 
South Australia, May issue, I find numerous reports on the results of experi- 
ments with wheat and fertilisers; and notes on pickling wheat, and’ on bunt; 
these are the actual observations of practical men. The branch bureaux, in 
-order to maintain their connection with the Central Bureau, have to hold a 
-certain number of meetings annually and give evidence of their vitality and 
utility. A meeting of the Farmers and Settlers’ Association of New South 
Wales is being held this week at Tamworth. Among the subjects to be 
‘discussed are:—l. Land questions 2. Rabbit question. 3. State Loan 
Bank. 4. Development of export trade of wheat aud other produce. 5. 
Railways. 6. Local Government Bill. 7. Water conservation. 8. Stock 
Acts and routes. 9. Best means of extending the usefulness of the 
association. I submit that an expression of opinion on any of these subjects 
from a hundred or more branch bureaux would be of more value than that of 
a conference of delegates. The proposal for the formation of a Chamber 
of Agriculture in Queensland should commend itself to members of this 
‘Conference, because it need not mean a separation of the union which has 
existed between the Agricultural Department and farmers’ societies. The 
central chamber could be formed in Brisbane, and could be constituted to 
command the confidence and respect of agriculturists. There already exist in 
the colony many societies of which it would only be necessary to change the 
mame to make them branch chambers. By promoting the formation of such 
branches, and submitting subjects for their discussion, a great stimulus would 
‘be given to intellectual activity among our rural population. The organisation 
‘of farmers, accomplished for the purposes and in the way suggested, might be 
made useful in other ways and directions. Enough has been said, I hope, to 
secure for the resolution I propose, the approval of the Conference. 
DISCUSSION'ON THE THREE PRECEDING PAPERS. 
The Hon. Anaus Ginson, M.L.C. (Bingera): The subject of organisation 
‘among farmers is an interesting one to every gentleman present. A great deal 
shas been said in the papers of what has been done in America and other parts 
-of the world, but a more important point is: What have we been doing in 
‘Queensland in this direction? I think we have now in this room that which 
