1 Noy., 1902] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 333 
There is a big area of this country, thousands and thousands of acres— 
miles and miles of it—presenting in the main a great scene of drought and 
desolation that would be very hard to beat anywhere, and yet some day this 
same country will carry one of the happiest and wealthiest sections of our 
Queensland population! And why? Because, first of all, it is some of the 
best land we possess ; and secondly, it has the best artesian water in the State 
under it; put the two together and the problem is solved. 
Then the question arises after you get the soil and water together what 
are the possibilities in the way of production; what can be grown? Well, I 
would like to ask, What can’t be grown ?—for the possibilities are enormous. 
And right here is where I am most directly interested in this matter, being 
one of the “fruit men” of this Department. 
In my article referred to J mentioned a long list of vegetables which T 
saw growing and in use, and my evidence in that direction is most amply 
confirmed by the fact that for a good while this season the Alice River S:ttle- 
ment has been sending big supplies down to Rockhampton and making good 
money out of it. 
Again, only the other day, the Courier had a paragraph referring to the 
transformation that is taking place at Roma, where people are growing 
vegetables and green feed, and can laugh at the drought. Now, as to pro- 
duction in the Central district, the land referred to above is, with the exception 
of odd holdings such as those mentioned, doing practicully nothing; but with 
the aid of the water it will give a long list of valuable products, make mone 
and comfort for the settler, and bring in revenue to the State, which, I take it, 
is what is wanted. With water made certain, big areas would not be needed, 
for more intense culture would obtain and make acres produce what miles 
cannot at present. 
Before speaking of fruit work, which is my object, I may, in passing, refer 
to the fact that, with settlement started, people would get a great deal of what 
ue required to live on from the land, and in many cases have a good surplus 
or sale. 
For instance, in the cooler half of the year, vegetables of many kinds 
could be grown fur in excess of home requirements, and there is a good market 
for them in more than one direction. 
Next, every settler would be able to keep his little herd of milkers in the 
best of working condition, with an ample supply of food. 
Pigs would follow these, and, in addition, certain farm crops could be grown 
up to fine quality. 
I have a very clear recollection of the fine crop of oaten hay Mr. Cronin 
was growing when I was there; and al-o of the beautiful appearance of Mr. 
Hannay’s growing wheat, the growth of which was regulated by the help of the 
bore water, without any need for depending on rainfall. 
I remember eating potatoes taken out of the ground eight weeks from 
planting, and I remember that some of the same crop, dug later, took second 
prize in their class at Rockhampton Horticultural Show in the spring. 
And then to see the way couch grass thrives! When one drives through 
the outside country, with its bare surface and starvation, and strikes a patch 
such as I saw at Mr. Cronin’s, one wants to rub one’s eyes to see if one is 
really awake, or only dreaming! It is like getting into anew world. TI would 
very much like to see some of these gentlemen on this country make a careful 
‘experiment in subdivision of paddocks on a small scale—say 25 acres or so to the 
paddock—and feed off in rotation in such a way that each paddock would get 
more spelling than feeding. 
Tam sure the results would be extraordinary. The settler would then 
probably be surprised to find how many stock he can carry to a given area. 
Sheep as well as milkers should have a prominent place on the farms 
out there, even under pretty close settlement, and they will pay as they have 
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