1 Jury, 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 73 
Mr. W. Mrscampire (Roma): I congratulate Mr. Murray-Prior upon his 
paper, and think that 1,280 acres is not a bit too much for a man in some parts 
of thé country. Iam not going to deal with the subject from the pastoral 
point of view, but I certainly think that to men who live near to the Brisbane 
markets, and who live on the coastal side of the Range, 100 acres are worth 
more than 1,280 acres-out in my part of the world. While the Government is 
to be congratulated on many of the things they have done for the farmers, there 
is much that still might be done to improve the condition of farmers in the 
West. For instance, a lot of farmers were put down on 80-acre blocks at 
Wallumbilla to starve. Some of them have bought out their neighbours and 
-now have 160 acres, but that is little enough. I think every man who has 
taken up 160 acres as a homestead selection should have the right of taking up 
any quantity of more land up to 1,280 acres as homestead. It would enable 
him to get a living out there. This country has gone to great expense in 
introducing German settlers, better than whom it would be impossible to 
introduce, but I think we may get better ones in the State, and I think a child 
born in this country should have 300 acres as a natural birthright. He should 
be allowed to take it up in any portion of the State open to selection, although I 
do not say that one family should be allowed to take it up 7m globo, as a 
numerous one might get too much in one district. 
Mr. T. pe M. Murray-Prior (Maroon) : I must thank the speakers for 
their kind remarks on my paper, but would have liked that more had been said 
on the subject of homestead selection. The first gentleman who criticised what 
I proposed, spoke of land being leased to Chinese and against areas of 1,280 
acres, but I think he mistook the tenor of my paper. I believe in his idea, 
however, of not allowing land to be sublet to aliens. Mr. Moody spoke against 
my proposal of fencing in reserves, and seemed to attribute motives for my own 
good. But I can tell Mr. Moody that I had no idea of the sort, and I am sure 
that if reserves were fenced in by divisional boards the expense would be 
very much less than Mr. Moody thinks. Take 640 acres. That could be 
fenced in for £100, and the interest on that amount could easily be obtained 
from the fees paid by travelling stock. In our coastal districts we have great 
difficulty in getting land for bullock teams. I know we get large rentals Trom 
teamsters by allowing them to camp on our land. If boards, such as ours in 
the Fassifern district, had the reserves they would be a source of revenue 
instead of being, as they often are, harbours for noxious weeds and other pests. 
Mr. Miscamble gave words to my idea. In his district the areas should be 
much bigger for homestead settlers than they are on the coast. The nearer you 
get to the coast, the better the land and the better the rainfall. The areas, 
therefore, should be less there than further West. 
The Hon. D. H. Datrymrze: I can gather from the approval that has 
fallen from the meeting that it, at any rate, is of opinion that the land should 
not be leased to coloured aliens, and that it is also in favour of handing over 
the land to children born in the State: Mr. Murray-Prior has treated of a very 
big subject, and I am sorry that lack of time precludes me from saying a few 
words on it. That I should wish to do so is natural. It is a current belief, as 
a matter of fact, in the House, that every member of Parliament, and every 
candidate for Parliament, always walks the street with a new Land Bill in his 
pocket. ‘The next paper is by Mr. Percy Biddles, of Tiaro, and is entitled— 
MANURES AND THEIR VALUE IN AGRICULTURE. 
There are many here who perhaps know more and have greater.experience on this 
subject than myself; but the idea seems to prevail amongst the large majority of 
farmers and agriculturists of this State, that the land should stand cropping trom 
year to year, and so on, for an unlimited period, without any assistance in the way of 
manures. But it only needs a little intelligent experiment to disprove this idea. 
If we take into consideration that the entire substance, both tlesh and bone of man 
and animals, is derived from the same materials, structural portions of the plants we grow 
and cultivate, we find that both alike come directly and indirectly from the same sources 
—the soil and the atmosphere—all are, practically speaking, grown from the dust. 
