52 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Jury, 1902. 
a wonderful effect on both plants and animals—on plants as seen in the refreshing 
early dews, and on animals in toning down the powerful gases referred to which all 
animals are continually breathing; and which, were it not for this vapour, would be 
very injurious to both the vegetable and animal kingdom. 
We have all both seen and felt the effects of a deficiency of this watery vapour, 
when we have experienced those cold, withering, westerly winds in our winter 
months. The ill effects produced on our crops at this season of the year are chiefly 
due to the lack of this watery vapour. It is well known that we have far less of this 
vapour in our winter months than in summer in this climate. 
In conclusion, gentlemen, it may be you will see with me that in the atmosphere 
the tillers of the soil haye many willing friends ready to help if only an opportunity 
be afforded them to do so, and the beauty of these helpers is that they are never tired ; 
they need no calling in the morning; they never complain nor strike for more wages. 
But some may ask, How are we to avail ourselves of these helpers ? My answer 1s— 
1. Let us have our lands well drained, remembering what has been before stated— 
that the atmosphere is pressing for admission at the rate of 15 lb. to every square inch 
of surface. But, where water is free, atmospheric air can never enter. For we have 
seen before that air is 715 times lighter than water, and, therefore, can never displace it. 
‘But remove the water by drains of some sort. Pipe drains are by far the best, and I 
believe in the end the cheapest, and, as the water moves, the air is waiting and pressing to 
follow and to do the work it is destined to do. Remember also that water in motion 
is life to all plants, but stagnant water is positive death to most plants. 
2. ents way to secure these friendly helps is to keep the surface of our farms 
loose and open, for neither water nor atmosphere can easily penetrate a hard-caked 
surface. They are waiting to enter tlie land, but the door is locked. en 
3. We can avail ourselves of the assistance of these gases ina free state by giving 
-our plants plenty of room for the air to go in and out amongst them, not forgetting that 
plants as well as animals live by breathing. 
I, therefore, think that with good and deep cultivation, loose surface, thorough 
drainage. and judicious irrigation we shall secure from the atmosphere all the benefits 
it was intended to give to man. j 
SIXTH SESSION. 
WEDNESDAY, llrr June, 1902. 7:30 p.m. 
Mr. Lustizr G. Corrs, of Brisbane, then read his paper on— 
THE ORGANISATION OF AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
[By L. G. Corrir, Brisbane. ] 
A man, be the Heavens praised, is sufficient for himself; yet were ten men, united in 
love, capable of being and doing what ten thousand singly would fail in.—Car.yLe. 
During the last forty years the business progress of the world has been greatly 
quickened by one or other method of co-operation. 
Everyone knows what splendid work the Right Hon. Horace Plunkett has been 
doing in Ireland, through his Department of Agriculture and Technical Education, in 
‘the way of organising and teaching the farmers. 
In England the Agricultural Organisation Society, Limited, was created for the 
sole purpose of instructing farmers how to combine, and to assist them in registerin 
‘their societies, while the British Government has provided the Industrial an 
Provident Societies Act, which enables all such societies to register and obtain a cor- 
porate existence entirely free of cost. 
; Viewed from a practical standpoint no class in Australia has received so meagre a 
direct return from co-operation as the men using the lands of this continent. 
In spite of the conspicuous benefits secured by Australian pastoralists from the 
union which was forced upon them some years ago, those interested in other agricul- 
tural callings have failed to attain to the strength which can only be reached through 
comprehensive union. Confining ourselves to Queensland, we note many associations 
promoted by various classes of agriculturists in the desire to benefit from mutual 
endeavour; from the least prosperous of these a measure of good has doubtless 
resulted, some have rendered special service along certain lines, and the more or less 
general benefits indirectly accruing may warrant the existence of most of such 
organisations, still the direct advantages secured have been in poor ratio to the 
numerical and monetary strength involved. 
Various reasons for this state of things are advanced, one of which it is now 
proposed to consider—viz., the want of organisation amongst the organisations, a 
want which has certainly led to an almost incredible amount of over-lapping occurring 
and repetitional work being done. 
