1 Nov., 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. "485 
Tropical Industries. 
TOBACCO AT TEXAS. 
Since the temporary establishment of a State Tobacco Farm at Texas under 
the superintendence of Mr. Rk. 8. Neville, tobacco expert to the Agricultural 
Department, considerable impetus has been given to the industry. In the 
past, large sums were certainly paid to growers of the leaf, but owing to various 
causes—amonest them, we believe, faulty curing—the price of Queensland-grown 
leaf fell to so low a point that many abandoned tobacco-growing and turned 
their land to other uses. Mr. Neville, however, has been so indefatigable in 
instructing farmers in the most up-to-date and yet simplest methods of pre- 
paring the seed-beds, and in the after-cultivation and subsequent treatment of 
the plant, that the industry has revived, and in September of this year Brisbane 
buyers bought leaf in the Texas and Inglewood districts to the amount of 
£18,000. In fact, the whole of the tobacco grown by the Chinese and 
European farmers has practically been bought up at 6d. per lb. Within 
a week there might be seen in Stanthorpe the encouraging sight of several 
twelve-horse wagons laden with bales of ’exas tobacco to be railed to 
Brisbane. Texas is a charming little township on the Severn River which 
here forms the boundary between New South Wales and Queensland. 
It is distant by coach about 78 miles from Stanthorpe. The road cannot 
be called a good one by any stretch of imagination, especially in wet 
weather. It passes over a succession of steep stony ridges, alternating with 
pleasant flats, and intersected by several fine creeks of clear running water. 
In a rainy season these creeks are often impassable, there being no bridges, 
and travellers may be compelled to camp for three or four days without being 
able to obtain any supplies. After surmounting the first sets of hills, the road 
runs almost continuously down-hill from Pikedale to Texas. The return 
journey is consequently a very laborious business for horses and passengers. 
The time taken for the journey, including one stoppage for breakfast, 12 miles 
from Stanthorpe, is 15 hours. For several miles the road runs through a 
most inhospitable-looking cyprus pine forest, where scarcely any grass is 
visible, but water is everywhere plentiful. Pikedale, Tereka. Warroo, and 
Texas stations are passed through, and at these places horses are changed. 
The stages, with one exception, are very long, 22 miles in one instance, 17 and 
15 in others, and the exception is only 9 miles, this stage being very rough and 
steep. Long before the township is reached the country changes rapidly into 
beautiful grass land, and on all sides, right up to the hilltops, tens of thousands 
of acres are ringbarked. Very good crops of lucerne, barley, and oats are 
seen on the way as well as some nicely-kept orchards. ‘There are two very good 
hotels in Texas where the traveller enjoys as much comfort as in more 
pretentious city hotels. Situated on the side of a ridge the upper township 
commands a pretty view of the lower township, or the Flat as it is called, 
where there are several small plots now being cultivated by Chinese. 
The State experiment farm is situated about two miles from tho township, 
and forms a portion of Texas head station, the owners of which have leased the 
land to the Department of Agriculture for a term of three years. ‘The soil 
consists of adeep, rich, sandy loam. This was ploughed last year to a depth of 
10 inches, and 9 acres were planted with tobacco, a small area only being put 
under maize, melons, and vegetables. 1t was rather late in the season when 
Mr. Neville began operations, nevertheless he succeeded in raising a very fair 
crop of 6 tons of first-class pipe tobacco. This has all been well cured, and at 
the time of my visit was being prepared for market. Instead of being packed 
in bales, it will be screwed into hogsheads after the American plan. The 
