COLONIES IN CONTRAST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 283, 24 August 1908, Page 3

COLONIES IN CONTRAST.

EXCELLENT OUTLOOK FOR QUEENSLAND LAMS. GLOOMY OUTLOOK IN CANADA. , ; Sydney papers last week published quite opposito views of Queensland and Canada: as places for settlement. Here is the bright side. It refers to Queensland, and is from the Sydney "Daily Telegraph" "The lamb-raising industry has not, until quite recently, made any-rapid progress in Queensland, but last year it appeared to attract more attention, and this year bids fair to see much greater development than'ever. Tho causes of the stimulus are thus set out : — "(1) That present-day legislation is rendering landowners shy. of dairying or agriculture, which involvo tho employment of much labour. "(2) New buyers have come into the field and increased facilities for the disposal of stock, and better prices, have followed. "(3) A fuller recognition of the value of tho rich Downs country for this special industry. "Tho suitability of the Downs -for highclass stock-raising has been demonstrated beyond doubt, and it should for a very long timo carry stud farms, whero pure merinoes and flocks of other breeds will bo kept. The evolution of the land system, however, is driviii" the merino back into tho pastoral districts "and. the fanners on nioilerate-sizcti areas are looking for a more profitable slieof, to be employed in mixed fanning. This is, . »f. cnurso, beinr; found in tho mutton bree;l3,

arid lamb-raising is gaining in popularity as Its possibilities aro better understood." The Darker Sido. So far, that is all encouraging. Now, read this .concerning Canada. It is tile letter of a farmer of Alberta, Canada, written to a North .Queonsland resident, and published in the "Sydney Morning Herald." It tells a gloomy story:— "Until Thavo gathered a good crop it will bo impossible for mo to sell my farm, so that I can leave for Queensland, for anything like ■half what it cost. Our seed this year had to bo brought from England, as not any of our grain ripened enough for seed last season. The Government is supplying lis with it on a year's credit. If the whole truth of this place got about it would give it a great setback, but the Government keeps theso things quiet. Most of us are watching for a chance to sell, which is another reason to keep quiot. Things are so bad that we only succeedod this year in collecting one-third of our school taxes, and' the schools aro being run by the association giving notes of a guarantee. If not the schools would close down. From what you have told, me, I think there is a grand opening: in Australia for cotton-growing, and 1 hope to get a chance to try my hand at the game before the end of the year. It is nice clean work, and does not require a lot of expensive machinery."

FEILDING A. AND P. ASSOCIATION. The members of the Feilding A. and P. Association have decided to pay a visit to the State Experiment Farm at Levin in the second week in September. At the Association's meeting on Friday a letter was received from the secretary of the Masterton A. and P. Association, asking for. the date of,.the next Feilding Ram Fair. A reply had been sent that ■ March 3 was the date, in accordance with advico from the Auctioneers' Association. Mr. Gorton explained that-the auctioneers, at the request of their clierits, had fixed the Ram Fair after the Sheep Fair.. Mr. Booth said it was a step in the ■wrong direction. Feilding had a namo as a stock centre,' but if they had to . wait until after all the other ram-fairs-had been held they would have all the rejected rams ■from other fairs ooming. He warmly resented the action .of the auctioneers in. altering the date without consulting the committee. ' Mr. Jackson supported Mr. Booth's view. Mr. Gorton said it was at the request of the farmers that the alteration had been made. ■ ' It was agreed, to set up a committee, comprising Messrs. Burrell, Knight, Booth, Atkinson, M'Elroy, Gorton, Perrett, Wheeler, and Campbell - (convener) to confer with the auctioneers, with power to act. Mr. R. A. S. Browne wrote agreeing to judge the milk-testing', competition, provided the Wanganui Education Board was agreeable. He suggested a test for speed and accuracy. , ■ Tho Ground Committee' reported that it was not possible to accommodato /stallions and bulls on the ground, as thero was jno place for • them. .. Tho. President said that much as tliey .would like to cater- for all. classes, it was impossible to take entire animals, unless they spent a great deal of money. It was agreed not to include stallions in nest year's show.