THE DARLING DOWNS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 236, 29 June 1908, Page 6

THE DARLING DOWNS

A SUMMING UP.

ADVANTAGES AND DEFECTS. VIEWS OP A PRACTICAL FARMER. Mr. James Wall, late of tho Wairarapa, but now residing in Wellington, is wellknown as one of the most practical farmers in tho Dominion. Ho made a great success ■of the business in the Wairarapa, where he and his brother, Mr.'Frank Wall, practically transformed a wilderness into one 'of tho most up-to-date farms in tho district.

Mr. Wall has just returned from Queensland, where ho has. purchased a 3000-acro block of .land in company with Mr. Lord, his partner. At the present time Queensland land, Darling Downs property in particular, looms largo in tho eyes of the New Zealand farjnirig- community. Numbers of oiir'farmers aro either over there now, ,or intend to proceed there on inspecting tours, and Mr. Wall's views on tho subject, which he gavo to a Dominion representative,, should bo of somo interest. . 1 Statements of Facts, " I don't intend to butter up tho country," said Mr. Wall, "but I just wish to make statements of fact. First of all, I was agreeably surprised at the quality of the land which I saw oil the Darling Downs. Tho. quality of tho soil is really first-class. It is black and red volcanic, mixed and'inter- 1 spersed with rocky, stony downs, which aro i nice sweet sheep country. There is'uo doubt that tho quality of this black soil is -unsurpassed in the world; no wonder when tho depth runs from 30 to 160 feet. 'Water can bo obtained anywhere at a depth of from 30 to 120 feet by means of bores and windmills. Roads.and Glimato. " The roads are level and , very wide, something from five chains ,to five miles, all fenced, but not formed. You can easily imagine that in wet weather they aro very bad indeed, and naturally are detrimental to tho dairying industry which lias to, rely so much upon 1 vehicular traffic. The climate is excellent for human beings. , Toowoomba is ' 2000 feet abovo tho sea. lfevel. The nights are cool. In summer time the temperature runs up to 94; in winter something below zero. There is no doubt that the country is subject to short dry periods, the ill effects of which are discounted by the , fact of tho rich and fast growth of the pastures. These dry periods are common also in France and Germany, and they must not, bo confounded j with the big droughts which devastate tho' back country of . Queensland. Cheep. Country,. . "The sheep country- is certainly not so good as that of New Zealand, but it is .so much cheaper. The comparison' is something ■ like this:—. ■; ' ' 1£ sheep country in Now Zoaland, £8 per ■ aero, sheep country'in Queensland, £2 10s. i to £3 per aero. "The fat lamb industry in the district is just in its infancy, and tho bulk of the sheep aro morino. With improved methods, I think there should bo a very good profit' in tho fat lamb trade in Queensland, but 1 this fact has not yet been proved. Dairying: Tho Future of tho Downs. " Dairying is already flourishing, and' I am confident'that the future of the Darling Downs lies in this industry. .As an evidence of this statement, one has only to remember that ten years ago dairying on the Darling Downs was almost, unknown, while!,now-tho placo has numerous factories, some of which made butter and cheese under the oue ioof. One of the advantages of the Darling Downs dairy farmer is that he can, farm" the whole year round; summer and winter. Lucerne can be grown on nearly all the black'soil. It can bo cut very often, 'and yields".from fifteen hundred-weight to a ton to tho acre. Thero is ample opportunity of building..up stocks of tho stuff" for the dry periods. Maizo grows two crops in the year, as much ■ as 40 bushels to the acre each time. Then again, sorgen, or amber cane,-which also grows luxuriantly there,, makes---excellent ensilage. The yields arc sometimes.as much as 30 tons to the acre. The food is excellent in winter for tho cows. You can see by .this the chance the dairyman has of making a 1 good living on the Darling Dowijis.

PIC 3. 1, • . . . _ " Another help to him is the fact that pigs on the' Darling Downs aro a most valuable product. They are easily fed, are topped off with.maize, and fetch sjd.' per pound. Tho sows and baconcrs are first fed on sorgen and pumpkins, and then it is the baconers which arc topped off on maize. Why tho Place has Languished, "The reason that this part of tho country has not goho ahead before is bccause tha holdings were too big. The Markets. "The market for dairy products is equally as good as in New Zealand. In the hog business it is better in' every way, and also for calvos, which can be reared and sold to the back stations. The Queensland Government subsidises the P. and 0. Line to till at Brisbane twice a month for dairy produco, which is a fact to be remembered by our people here. Fat sheep . and faf. cat.tlo markets are not so good as in New Zealand. Merinos, you know, arc not the best freezers in the world, and since the big drought of 1902 cattle have been so scarce that tlie big meat companies found it unprofitable to operate on the market. There is no doubt, however, that the time will como when Queensland will supply: the outside market" in both directions. Crude Farmers. "Tho of tho Queensland farmers 1 , in many ways, are crude, and they could very well take as an example their New Zealand brethren.,: Farms may bo seen all over the place in a state of neglect. ' Th'ero is no system of inspection of dairy and tho co-operative dairy factories aro not making tho headway they should in the circumstances, because there is too much homo separation, which is maintained in adverse conditions. Cropping is very irregular, no provision being mado apparently for tho dry weather periods. . -

Few Pests. "Tho Darling Downs is entirely l'ree from cattlo and sheep tick and rabbits. Light Rates. "Tho land'rates are very'light.. For instance, I think tho Hon. J. D. Ormond will pay something like £ISG per annum in rates 011' his recent purchase of 18,000 acres, which cost roughly £00,000, something like $d. in the & 011 tho unimproved value. Tho rates are collected by tho Shire Council, and not by the Government. Thero are other rates, howovor, namely, Is. 9d. for every SO head of horses, 20 _ head of cattle, 100 head, of sheep. This is called tho marsupial rate, and there is also a rabbit rate of Is. for every 20 head of cattlo and horses. Of course, thero may bo rabbits in Queensland outside of the Darling Downs, and tho rate you know is general. A Straight-out Opinion. "Finally, I will say this. Tho Darling Downs is undoubtedly a very fine' country, and 110 practical farmer ii"ed fear to settlethere. 1 would not, however, advise farmers who aro doing really well in Now Zealand to throw up their properties, but for. those who aro out in search of 'specs,' and who '■ aio young and steady and fairly willing to work, thero is a red good future for thorn, if thev like to start in Queensland." ■'