THE DARLING DOWNS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2281, 28 August 1908, Page 2

THE DARLING DOWNS.

impressions of a local SHEEP-FAHMER.

GOOD LAND AND CHEAP

“in my opinion 'Queensland Ims a groabTucuie beloro it.” remarked Mi. G. ( j. Black Ui a “Tillies” .reporter, who had called lor an interview in regard to Mr. Black’s impressions «» the .Darling Downs. Mr. Black iccently returned from a trip extending over six wcoks to Australia and spent most of the time in Queensland, where he travelled through about 2001) miles of country by train, motor-car, and coach. . “I was in the Downs for over three weeks,” Mr. Black went on to say, “and L found the country very dry for this time of the year, for it must be remembered most of the rain falls in the summer. Toowoomba is the cenral township of the district, and a great deal of settlement is going on everywhere. The land is generally being cut up into small farms and these are being rapidly taken up. Most of tlio settlers are from Now South Wales and Victoria, hut there is a fair proportion from New Zealand. The land is all held on freehold and the Government offers good inducements and the most liberal terms, allowing the settler twenty-five years to pay for bis land. The Jimhour Estate of 100,000 acres has just been cut up into 300 and 500 aero blocks. There is no ballot and only an application is necessary to secure a block. Tlio Land is all level and ploughahlc, blac'lc soil to 201 t. below the surface, and is equal to anything that can bd seen ill New Zealand. The average rainfall on this estate is 29 inches, but the rainfall over the whole of the Downs averages 31 inches. , “Most of the farms are for dairying, which industry is making rapid progress everywhere. There are creameries and butter factories in abundance, while a big industry .is carried on in condensed milk. Nestle and Co. have two such factories, and another large works is owned by a Brisbane firm. Oil the Downs the farmers milk .ill the year round. Ensilage is used as a winter feed and the cows do well on it. Juice rile is extensively cultivated, and brings from £5 to £6 per ton, oaten chaff from £6 to £7 per ton, cheese 9d per lb wholesale and Is per lb retail. Several of the larger farmers let out their dairying on shares. Pig rearing is also encouraged, for bacon factories are everywhere. The laud is much lower m price than in New Zealand, and good blocks can ho got at from £3 to £4 per acre. Tlio Queensland Government is doing all it can to encourage se!Moment. The district is well rail,l, and the Government will put down a railway anywhere if the settlers will guarantee 4 per cent of the capital cost. Several short lines have been put down on these terms to the smaller farms on the estatos that have been cut up. “To tlio west of the Downs is tlio great sheep country,” Mr. Black said iri answer to a question, “and farmers are going in largely for cross-breds and hali-breds, but comparatively few merinos, mutton-raising being, of course, the object. To show how Queensland lias recovered its sheep industry 1 might mention that after the drought of 1902, tliero were only 7,000,000 sheep in the State, and there are at present 19,000,000. In some parts there are two lambing seasons in the year, but that is not general. Shearing is already in full swing on the stations in the western district, for the shearers come north for the early spring and gradually work south to New South Wales with the summer. Tliero is plenty of labor, but 1 don’t think the laboring man is as well off there as in New Zealand Wages only average 7s a day, provisions are dearer, and the conditions of labor are not as good. There are some very large stations irp Western Queensland. On one 600,000 sheep were carried,but only 250,000 are being shorn this season. Still there arc dozens of stations shearing 100,000 sheep, and that number would be thought exceptional in New Zealand. Most of the country out west is leased in big blocks, and it is there that Mr. C. N. lvidman, the Australian “King,” has his big ranches. 1 mot two brothers that have a cattle run of 9000 square miles leased to them by the Government at from 6s to 5s per mile. It is all splendid cattle country. Their fattening pad-dock contains 40,000 acres of well-grassed and well-watered land close to the Beau Desert railway station, and there the stock are fattened up ready to be trucked to the freezing works. One thing I noticed about the station cattle was that they are remarkable quiet, and would como quietly up and 6inell the trap we wore sitting in. The Queensland country is far superior in quality ‘to anything to be seen along tlio railway line in New South Wales, where the land is all gum treo country. As soon as one gets to the Downs it is different, the soil is richer, and is splendidly adapted for dairying, maize or potato growing. Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, is going ahead at a very fast pac6. When I was there 45 years ago there was a population of only 20,000; there is now a population of i20,()00, and big steamers come up the river to tlio town wharves. Some of the Queensland scrub land—it is called scrub land over there, but would bo called bush country in New Zealand—is very valuable, and is worth lip to £lO per acre; when it is cleared it will grow anything. “I also saw a good deal of the' prickly pear country on the western line. Tlio freehold of this country can bo obtained for nothing if a man will take up a block of 1200 acres and guarantee to clear one-tenth of the holding from the pest, in a year. The prickly pear is a cactus-like plant growing up to ten feet in height. It ■is very hard, to cut or burn while green, and even when dry Will only burn with the assistance or wood. Most of the pear country/is good country, and would bo rapidly taken lip if not for the nest-. Ono' hears a lot of complaint of the pest, but the prickly pear is not a Queensland pest. It was introduced from America. There are still millions of acres of good land open for settlement that has not been touched by the pear. “I saw a good many New Zealanders over there,” remarked Mr. Black, “and they wore all interested in the country. Two Canterbury gentlemen, Messrs. Andrews and Thompson, bought a nice sheep farm close; to the railway land, and other settlors are arriving from all parts of the Commonwealth. I also met Mr. W. Philp, the leader of the Opposition Party, who is an old schoolmate .of mine, and I was ablo to closely inquire into the politics of the State. Tlio general opinion seems to bo that the Labor Party, or the Three Party principle is done with, and that when Mr. Kidstoii, the present Premier, returns from England, the Kidstoii and Philp Parties will coalesce and work together. “Of course there arc many industries iiCQueonsland,” said Mr. Black, in conclusion, “and sugar-cane growing is advancing now that the black labor has been excluded. The Government has to give a bonus of 7s 6d per ton on all cane cut by white labor, and there seems to be no opposition to the “White Australia” policy. The pearling industry is also one ill which big money can be made. Some of the jewels bring fabulous prices, and the trade is extensively worked on the North Coast- of the State. The diving is nearly all done by Japanese, and Jdiev use diving suits, as the pearling grounds are too far out into the deep sea for plunging.”