486 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Noy., 1901. 
curing houses, of which there are two, are built and arranged after the most 
approved plan, allowing of perfect ventilation, and of being securely closed 
against rain-storms. Each house is 72 feet long by 40 feet wide, with a height 
of 20 feet. There are six ventilators on the ridge cap, six narrow side openings, 
which are closed at will, and the whole of the front and back ends consist of 
wide doors, allowing ingress for horse and dray. The poles on which the 
tobacco is hung to cure are about 4 ft. Sin. long, and hundreds of these are 
arranged in three tiers the whole length of the buildings and right up to the 
roof, supported on cross-beams, from which they are easily taken down, filled, 
or emptied and replaced. Each shed is capable of holding 5 tons of cured 
leaf. The work of preparing it for market is performed by the overseer, who 
is himself an enthusiastic and practical man, both in growing and handling 
tobacco, and two young girls, but Mr. Neville himself assists in the work daily 
until the whole is completed. 
The crop last season was of exceptionally good quality, but Mr. Neville 
declares that he can produce even a better sample, provided always that the 
season is propitious, as he has been able to take time by the forelock this year 
and raise young plants in his seed-bed six weeks earlier than was the case last 
year. ‘The land also has been ploughed two inches deeper, and is in splendid 
tilth. The seed-beds are very extensive, long and narrow, and carefully guarded 
from predacious egg-laying, leaf-eating insects by calico closely attached to 
the boards forming the sides and ends of the beds. 
Before sowing the seed, the soil is thoroughly burnt to destroy all animal 
and vegetable life which might be injurious to the seed or young plant. 
The earliest sown seed was all up and healthy looking. Young plants 
were seen in thousands under their protecting canopy. 
Water is procured at a depth of 17 feet from the surface. There are 
seven wells on the land now being planted (18 acres). Each is provided with a 
pump and a half-tank. The water is pumped into these and erated before 
applied to the plants. The important business of watering is never neglected 
when found necessary. Caterpillars, which are so apt to infest the growing 
plant, are carefully removed, and constant inspection is made of the leaves to 
detect and destroy these destructive pests. 
Two kinds of tobacco were cured last season, the Burley turning outa 
splendid sample of leaf. Many are under the impression that a large amount 
of labour is necessary for tobacco-growing. That this is not so has been amply 
proved by Mr. Neville, who has worked the State farm right through from start 
to finish of the crop with one young ploughman, one general hand, and the over- 
seer, with the extra assistance of two girls in the shed during the preparation 
of the tobacco for market. Good tobacco land is worth at present from £10 
40 £14 per acre. 
TRIPLE-EYED JOINTS IN SUGAR-CANE. 
Mr. E. Denman, Mackay, who has made a long study of the manner of 
growth and other peculiarities of different varieties of sugar-cane writes:— 
Possibly the accompanying fact may interest you. Last year I planted a 
quantity of a variety of cane locally known as Striped Tanna. When cutting 
it early this month, I noticed that a large number of canes, after making about 
2 feet of cane of the variety planted, changed into a green cane. This of 
itself is not very remarkable, but on closer observation J discovered that many 
of the joints of the new growths had in every instance two and three perfectly 
formed and quite distinct eyes on the same joint. This is a peculiarity that 
has only come under my observation on one previous occasion during thirty-five 
years’ experience, during which period I have not only been a close observer 
but have made a study of canes and their peculiarities; the other instance 
being that of the seedling Kewensis. 
