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1 Sepr., 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 187 
to market gardeners in the neighbourhood of the large towns where wandering 
cattle and horses often break through and steal. Take a fence of, say, ten 
No. 12 wires and two barbs, stretched tight and fixed to posts 8 feet apart. 
One would think that such a fence would suffice to keep out everything but an 
elephant. So long as the wires remain tightly stretched, it will answer the 
purpose. But single wires have an unfortunate knack of loosening. Then gaps 
appear ; and knowing old cows and horses are not slow to become aware of the 
fact, and they promptly get through. Now, if all these wires were bound 
together by diagonal wires until a net-like mesh is created, then we have a com- 
bination of wires set up in such a fashion as to give a maximum of strength, 
effectiveness, and durability such as exists in no other every-day fence. By 
means of the machine advertised in this issue, two men will weave and fix to 
the posts 40 rods (220 yards) of such fence per day. The posts may be 11 
yards apart, but, if an exceptionally strong fence is required, then the posts may 
be 16 feet apart. : 
Mr. Mitchell has a fence of this kind with the posts 105 feet apart, and on 
one oceasion a horse threw himself against it, and the rebound flung him on to 
his feet again, the fence being none the worse for the experience. So well 
are the wires bound together that one of the stretched wires may be cut, and it 
will only spring apart about a quarter of an inch. Ten or twelve wires would have 
to be cut to let a calf through. Such a fence costs less than any other, and is 
more secure and durable. The best galvanised wire for the purpose costs from 
1s. 6d. to 1s. 7d. per rod. Those who saw the machine at work at the Exhi- 
bition are loud in their praise of the work it performed. 
The probable cost of erecting one chain of such a fence as that shown in 
the illustration would be, at most, 9s. 6d. Straining posts of 12-inch hardwood 
sapped, five chains apart, 1s.; two split intermediate posts fixed, 1s.; 44-lb. 
wire, f.o.b. Brisbane, 6s.; six upright stays of No. 6 wire woven in the fabric, 
3d.; two men weaving and fixing eight chains per day at 5s. each, 1s. 3d. 
A selector on the Gowrie Estate says that he can do the work at 1s. per chain 
less, building a strong, endurable, and effective fence which will turn all 
domestic animals. 
DR. MAXWELL IN THE NORTH. 
The greatest and most important advances in the world of science have only 
been made by slow degrees, in the face of much opposition and frequently of 
downright hostility. We need only refer to the introduction of labour- 
saving machinery in the cotton-spinning, weaving, agricultural, and other 
industries to show how unreasoning ignorance battled, but battled vainly, against 
such innovations. Dr. Maxwell has come to us to advance the sugar-growers’ 
interests. His experience here is not singular from that above quoted. He has 
to overcome old prejudices, as he had to overcome them in Hawaii, and as he did 
triumphantly overcome them in those islands by the wonderful success of his 
operations. The Ingham Planter’s leader on this subject, which we reproduce, is 
well worthy of careful perusal :— 
For many months prior to the recent visit of Dr. Maxwell to the Herbert 
and Johnstone River districts there was some grumbling amongst cane-growers 
at what they seemed to regard as neglect of that attention which they claimed 
as a right from the gentleman in question. Now that he has visited and 
addressed the Ingham, Halifax, Geraldton, and other farmers, it remains to be 
seen whether his advice will be put into practice. If it is not, there will be 
very good grounds for the conclusion that those who felt themselves injured by 
Dr. Maxwell’s frequent absences in Melbourne and elsewhere had no real 
desire to be instructed by him on important points in connection with cane 
cultivation, but simply exercised the Britisher’s privilege to grumble for its 
own sake, and not from any belief that they were in any way suffering by non- 
visitation from the Director of Sugar Experiment Stations. Should the 
