I Noy.,1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 315 
the finest is Sea Island. Other varieties are known by the generic name of 
Egyptian or Uplands. You can always distinguish Sea Island cotton from 
Uplands because the former has black, clean seeds free from adhering lint. 
Some varieties have seed which takes the form of a mulberry, all the seeds 
clinging together in the centre of the boll. The Egyptian or Uplands seed is 
grey, and the short lint adheres closely to it. Sow cotton in September. In 
the North I think it should be sown much earlier, in order to-have the harvest 
before the wet season in January. Cotton seed, in the olden days, was a mere 
drug on the market, and was generally turned into manure. To-day it has a 
large market value, and therefore you cannot afford to be so lavish in sowing 
it as we were thirty years ago. There are drilling machines which will sow 
cotton seed exactly in the same manner as those which sow maize. The rows 
should be—For Uplands cotton, 5 feet apart; for Sea Island, 6 feet is not too 
wide, with from 4: to 6 feet between the plants for each variety. Pick cotton 
after the dew has evaporated. Let it dry on sheets before bagging it. When 
picking, be careful about dropping any on the ground, because, in picking it 
up, you will pick up gravel and stones which adhere easily to the lint, and 
these constitute a source of danger in the gin-house, owing to the almost 
certain striking of fire when the stones meet the rapidly revolving saws of the 
gin. The gin-house is full of floating particles of cotton, and these ignite with 
the slightest spark. 
Cowrras.—This is the last field crop I shall mention, except Pumpkins, 
which I will here dismiss by advising you to sow them at 20-yard intervals in 
your maize-fields at the same timeas thecorn. The plants require no attention. 
As to cowpeas, these are sown principally for green manure, although the vines 
make excellent chaff and ensilage. Sow in September in the South and in 
January in the North, in drills 38 feet apart, and thin out to 1 foot in the 
rows. If wanted for manure, plough under about the flowering time, using a 
chain on the plough to press them down so that the sod will cover them. 
There is a great deal more to tell you about the orchard, the vegetable 
garden, and small fruit-growing. ‘hese will more fitly form the subject of a 
separate series of text books. Meanwhile, I close this series with the hope 
that I may have been instrumental in assisting young farmers to avoid the 
mistakes which I myself have committed in the olden days of Queensland 
farming, and in putting them into the straight path which leads to success. 
Needless to state that what I have written in these three little books is not all my 
‘own experience. I am indebted for much that is here laid down to authorities 
in all parts of the world, and very much so to the Press of Australasia, of the 
United States of America, and of the British Empire generally. I have also 
received great assistance from Mr. Peter McLean, Agricultural Adviser to the 
Department of Agriculture. It remains only to wish success to my readers, 
and to say Floreant Agricole—may the farmers flourish. 
APPENDIX. 
USEFUL RULES AND TABLES. 
HOW TO MEASURE AN ACRE. 
5 yards wide by 988 yards long contain 1 acre. 
10 4 
” ” ” 48 ” ” ” ” 
40 ” ” 9 121 9 ” ”? ” 
70 ” ” ” 695 ” ” ” ” 
80 ” ” ” 605 2 Ad ” 
60 feet wide >> 726 feet ” ” ” 
110 ” ” ” 397 ” ” ” ” 
130 ” ” ” 363 ” #.. 2 ” 
220, 7 i, UES gy ” ” ” 
440 99 
"70 yards by 70 yards is easily calculated.” 
This gives 4,900 square yards, whereas an acre contains 4,840 square yards, a 
difference of 60 square yards. 
