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80 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Jury, 1901. 
certain. Being viewed in this light, Sir, I am certain that climate influences moral 
character, and upon the moral character of those engaged in any industry, whether 
agricultural or otherwise, the success of that industry very largely depends. 
The second aspect under which I wish to notice the effect of climate on Queens- 
land agriculture is in the marvellous rapidity by which it promulgates insect life and 
produce spests of various kinds. Much might be written under this heading, but I will 
content myself with illustrating this truth by two or three figures or instances. Who 
of us who are engaged in agriculture have not noticed what effect a few close, muggy, 
showery days have had on a field of wheat, and many instances are on record where a 
field of wheat, beautifully clean and full of promise to-day, has, through a few days 
or sometimes a few hours of close, muggy, stormy weather, been blighted 
and ruined by rust. ‘here is no doubt, though, but scientific experiments 
are overcoming, to some extent, this evil, iil very probably much more 
will yet be done in this direction. J was made painfully aware of the 
fact that our climate is a terror to breed animal life, only this summer. 
A neighbouring farmer neglected to cut a piece of lucerne, | which 
“was allowed to stand several weeks longer than it should have done; the weather set 
in close and showery, and ina few days this piece of lucerne was amass of caterpillars— 
a little bit of a thing, about g-inch in length, with a greenish coloured body, a black 
head, and a decidedly quick movement (fora caterpillar). In afew days the field was 
black, and when the owner saw what was going on and put the machine in the lucerne 
they swarmed out in millions, attacked the neighbouring fields, and practically ruined 
about 200 acres of lucerne in all stages, and inflicted a loss of from £50 to £60 per 
head on several of the adjoining landholders... Machines were set to work, followed 
by spring-toothed harrows and in some cases rollers, but the pesky little wretches had 
their say, and disappeared for the time, no one knows where, nor have any one of 
those affected by them any faith in any particular measure to check them when they 
pay us another visit. Itis generally believed had the plague appeared in the spring 
of the year instead of the end of autumn they would not have been got rid of before 
the winter. Had this have been the case, the losses would have amounted to thousands 
instead of hundreds. A bit of advice on this pest from any gentleman present who 
may have had similar exper’ences would be valued, and I would gladly take back 
with me the experiences of other men for the benefit of the district in which I live. 
Much more might be said under this heading; but I have written enough for my 
purpose, and I am prepared to wager that the Queensland climate can produce pests 
of various kinds at the rate of nineteen to the dozen when it gets fairly on the job; in 
fact, Sir, it transforms itself into a mighty incubator, and is prepared to supply all 
kinds of pests—rust in wheat, potato grubs, orange bugs, caterpillars of various hues 
and all sizes, &e —on the shortest notice and the lowest possible prices. 
Viewing this question from a scientific standpoint, 1 have not much to say. 
Where floods and droughts come from, or where they go to, from what cause they 
spring, or whether the forces operating to produce these disastrous visitations will yet 
be brought under human control, is beyond my ken. Wonderful things have been 
done in the nineteenth century, and who knows but what the control of the natural 
forces which bring about these ever-varying climatic conditions will yet be brought 
under man’s control and their disastrous consequences averted. 
An immigrant writing home to his friends once said, ‘This Queensland is a 
wonderful country—you grow two crops in a year; then you lose one with the floods, 
and the other with a drought.” Agriculturists know something of the truth of this 
saying. Although little or nothing has as yet been done to regulate weather conditions, 
either to bring rain when needed or keep it away when not needed, there are certain 
steps that can be taken that to some extent will mitigate the baneful influence of 
floods and droughts ; and I will draw this paper to a close by noticing a few measures 
thatarewithinthereach ofall. I have often been amazed at the apathy and indifference 
displayed by many people regarding a water supply for a dry time, they simply do. 
Roun and when bountiful rains fall they let the water run away; no tanks or dams 
are provided or means to conserve the beautiful water, and a week or two after a 
magnificent fall of rain (by which they should have conserved a three months’ water 
supply), you see them harnessing up 2 horse to go a mile, perhaps two, for a cask of 
water, yery often not fit for human consumption. The same system or want of system is 
carried out in relation to conserving fodder for a drought: no provision is made, none 
attempted very often; and when the drought sets in and the stock begin to starve, they 
stump the country side cursing all and sundry because a rain will not come. A good. 
system is that of cropping your land through tillage; treating any land that is deteriorat- 
ing with manure. These measures—taking steps to conserve the water when it falls, your 
