1 Juny, 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 23 
growers a great deal of work and expense to keep in check. We can never totally 
exterminate the fly ; it will always be with us, more or less, according to the way in 
which we welcome it. lf we tamely stand by and do nothing, and give it every 
encouragement by our apathy, of course it will come with all its merry relations. 
What we want to do is to fight it in every way with the best weapons possible. If 
we do, J am sure we shall not fail to save the major portion of our fruit, and lessen 
their numbers immensely. One great drawback in the fight against the fly is the 
want of unanimity among the growers. While one man may be doing his best to 
destroy all vermin, his neighbour on the other side of the fence may be doing his best 
to raise as much vermin as he can, thus making the labour of the clean man null and 
yoid. Now, there ought to be something to prevent such a state of affairs, and the only 
way to do so would be the appointment of orchard inspectors, whose duty would be 
to compel every fruitgrower to keep his orchard free from fallen fruit, &c. It is 
very hard on the clean man to have his fruit injured through his neighbour’s neglect ; 
and if a man will not do what is only just to himself and his neighbours, there ought 
to be some law to compel him. | have now come to the end of my fly paper. I hope 
it attracted some of your attention, and I trust what little information about the use 
of tangletoe fly traps will prove useful to my fellow fruitgrowers. It is right, when we 
come to such Conferences as this, to give our penny-worth of information, and take 
away a pound’s worth from others if we can—that is human nature. I expect there 
are a good many gentlemen present with fly experiences, and they will no doubt be 
getting on the wing and giving us some ideas about their troubles with the lively 
insect. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, my fly has flown. 
The two preceding papers were discussed at some length, a number of 
delegates giving their experience of the ravages of the fruit fly and of harmful 
and harmless birds. 
A lively discussion also ensued on the paper on disease in sweet potatoes, 
Mr. C. P. Mav (Mackay) said he had had a little experience in trying to 
eradicate the grub pest. Some twelve years ago, when he started canegrowing, 
he thought it would be also desirable to have a few potatoes, and he tried year 
after year to keep the grubs out of them. He planted the vines when the soil 
was hilled up, and just when they were struck out a little groove was made 
between the two rows on the top of the hill, and kainit applied. The cost of 
this fertiliser was about £4 per ton, and a ton would do for anacre of land, put 
round the root. He found, whether it was the cause of the death of the eggs 
or grubs, that he was able to grow the potatoes. Even if it did not kill them, 
it was an excellent manure. 
Messrs. Tarpunr, Cooxsrmy, Arrow, McLran, Tryon, and others con- 
tributed to a very interesting discussion on the subject. 
OUR HORSE INDUSTRY. 
[By W. R. Ropinson, Royal Agricultural Society, Toowoomba. ] 
This most important industry to our State deserves, I think, more attention than 
it has received for years past ; there is always an inclination for breeders to neglect 
the opportunity of securing a good sire when stock are low inthe market; but in my 
opinion that is the very time breeders should secure the very best sires procurable. 
e have seen this sort of thing in all lines of stock in Queensland, but still many seem 
torun in the same old groove, and even nowjmany are breeding from sires that should 
have been boiled down years ago. 
While Germany, Russia, America, Austria, and Hungary are all paying attention 
to breeding remount and artillery horses of the highest quality, and the sister States 
are taking the matter up warmly, what are we in Queensland doing to encourage 
breeders or assist this important business? There is no climate where conditions are 
more favourable for the growth and production of good horses than in this State. The 
shipping conveniences at Pinkenba are as good as the best, as some of the largest horse — 
ships afloat can berth there and load with very little delay. What is the best course to 
adopt to improve our own horses is the question ? 
