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160 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Juny, 190. y 
1,800 cases, and the average return was something like 11s. a case. 
fruit was purchased by the New South Wales Government from the who 
sale merchants. We paid all freights and charges, and had a net profit 
something like £130 on the transaction. Any wholesale fruit mercht 
who deals with the lemons from Sicily will tell you that the lem 
arrive here in tight cases. In 1894, at Mildura, I brought up the ques 
of a standard fruit case, and have done so at every fruit conferen 
There should be a standard measure for the sale of fruit, just the sa 
as we have a bushel of wheat or a gallon of milk. We must have a stand 
capacity for fruit, and the sooner it is made law throughout Australia 
better, At all the intercolonial fruit conferences we have been unanimous in the 
desirablity of having a universal standard case. It would already have be 
made law in New South Wales had not a number of those for whose benefit i 
was introduced blocked it. I want to tell you what I expect you fruitgrow 
todo. You see the sugar-growers in Queensland are forming their one s0 | 
organisation for the benefit of their industry. Your industry is going to bea | 
big one; and the sooner you are all bound together, the sooner you will ge | 
standard fruit case, and the sooner you will get the work you want. Whe) 
you all pull together I, as the Fruit Expert to the Government of Queensland, | 
will be able speak with those in authority over me with a certain amount of powe 
because I shall have the industry behind me. I feel we are now in a kind 
transition stage. We have practically reached the limit of consumption in ow 
own States, especially as far as Queensland is concerned, and the time is 
coming when we must open up new markets. We shall never be able to 
compete in those markets unless we compete as a body of fruitgrowers i 
systematic manner. We are coming on to markets where the growers hé 
had control of them for many years. If we have to get a share of that trade it | 
behoves us that we must not only put our fruit on those markets as well | 
those who already there, but a little bit better. We have the quality of the fruit 
in Queensland, and we can make a name for it. Mr. Williams referred to the 
-question of drawing the attention of fruitgrowers to the vast quantity of) 
inferior fruit trees introduced into the State. Ihave brought this matter Up} 
hundreds of times, and yet over and over again farmers get taken down by m 
coming round with books of pictures. You should know these things. 
of these trees are undoubtedly good trees for the Southern climate, but the 
are not adapted to our climate or our climatie conditions. 4 
Mr. D. Jones (inspector, Diseases in Plants Act): I would just like to 
mention this fact in connection with the flying fox. ° From my own observation | 
in the West Moreton district, where the disease is prevalent, I know that the | 
pink wax scale is carried about by the flying fox. With regard to the prone 
ness of people with Hnglish ideas to carry the sparrow with them into thet 
own district, I may state that a bird fancier has told me that he has orders fot 
sparrows from Charters Towers, and that he has supplied them to that town » 
In the Moreton district, sparrows are a great menace to the fruit industry, | 
small fruit more especially being subject to the attacks of these birds. Once | 
you get the sparrow, he is as hard to eradicate as any other pest. There isa 
matter which affects our friends’ from the Blackall Range, and that is the 
insectivorous bird question. I am informed that at times a number of out) 
birds are very partial to strawberries, and do a lot of harm. A case Was, 
before the courts quite recently with regard to a prosecution under the Native 
Birds Protection Act, and I may state that I consider action under this Acti 
one of those things that requires discrimination. I understand the prosecutiol 
was against a man who collects birds for shipment to the South to be made 
into lark pies, and I am informed he had about 3 tons of birds. 
cold storage ready for shipment to the South. There are many bi 
which we should encourage men to get rid of. I quite believe that, af 
this prosecution under the Native Birds Protection Act, that man will not n0¥ 
seek to make a commercial commodity out of what to many fruitgrowers 
the Blackall Range is a nuisance. I can assure all fruitgrowers that a great 
