562 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Dec., 1901. 
Tropical Industries. 
_ THE QUEENSLAND RICE INDUSTRY. 
By FRED. WM. PEEK, Loganholme. 
It is pleasing to note the interest aroused amongst farmers in many parts 
of Queensland in the rice industry—an industry which consequently will be 
carried on, at least in the Southern districts, on a much larger scale than has 
yet been the case in any part of the State. 
It is well known that Chinamen in the Northern districts about Cairns 
and on the rich river flats of the North have successfully cultivated this cereal. 
At one time (1898) as much 2s 863 acres were under crop in this State, which 
returned 38,153 bushels of paddy, or an average of 44°19 bushels to the acre, 
according to the Registrar-General’s report for that year, showing the 
splendid results and the fertility and suitableness of the soil for rice production ; 
and it is recorded that 2 tons per acre were harvested from an area of 12 acres 
planted near the Barron River. 
The import duty hitherto placed upon rice by this State was ample 
protection for this industry, and gave a heavy bonus to our local growers, 
although the cultivation of rice has been seriously neglected by our Southern 
farmers, chiefly, I might say, owing to ignorance of its qualities, and of 
its adaptability to the soil and climate until very recently. Rice was 
looked upon as a tropical product only suitable for our Northern climate 
instead of being what it really is—a semi-tropical plant. Another deterrent 
was the assumption that rice could only be grown in standing water or in 
swamps, and therefore the labour conditions were a drawback, not being to 
the liking of our farmers who prefer dry-land cropping to paddling about in 
a swamp ooze, as was thought necessary in growing rice. This want of 
practical knowledge was then the deterrent, which I am pleased to say is now 
overcome. By experimenting and planting various kinds and varieties, it has 
been found that swamps are not necessary for rice culture; that certain 
varieties, of which there are between 300 and 400, can be grown practically 
on dry land, the only necessity being sufficient rainfall at the proper time and 
season. Other varieties again experimented with have certainly grown with 
a splendid amount of straw, but very little grain, being a variety requiring 
moisture in a greater degree. 
Having taken up this question of rice culture and reorganised the industry 
in the’Logan district, I endeavoured to get information as well as seeds of 
other varieties to add to the knowledge and practical results we had already 
obtained. From the “ Aus” or upland variety of rice, we had obtained splendid 
results, which have already been published in these pages. 1t was, as before 
stated, of the Aman, or swamp variety, that more information was desired, and 
I am pleased to be able now to publish the information received per favour of 
F.G. Sly, Esq., Commissioner of Settlements and Agriculture in the Central 
Provinces of India. From what he writes I take the following :— 
; Prepartne tHE Lanp ror Swamp Cunrivarion. 
For rice cultivation a low-lying plot is selected in which water will easily 
collect, and these plots, varying in size from one-twentieth to three-quarters 
of an acre, are surrounded by earthern embankments thrown up about 2 feet 
high and arranged so as to hold back the water. This then is ploughed or 
worked up until a tilth of fine mud is obtained. 
Sowing SEED FOR Swamp PLANTING. 
The early variety is sown in the beginning of the rainy season (in India 
this is June, in Southern Queensland this should be about October, and in 
