QUEENSLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2730, 11 July 1906, Page 9

QUEENSLAND.

Brisbane. June 8.

In tho inland districts sharp frosts have already been experienced, and, under their influence and the absence of rain duiing the past eovple of months, tho grass is tm-ning brown and dry. The superabundance of dry feed all over the State is causing grave apprehension of bush fires,

and wherever practicable breaks are beingburnt in anticipation of trouble later on. With the exception of the dread' of bush fires, the absence of rain is not causing any uneasiness, in view of the plenitude of feed, on which the stock se^ni to make little impression, though in the Goondiwindi district the water supply, which was not to any extent replenished" by the Feb-ruary-March rains, is causing some anxiety. The autumn shearing- has been very much delayed by the rains, but a fair number of sheds have now cut out, and :ne krg-e increase in the number of sheep shorn in certain districts testifies to the heavy breeding that has been in progress. Ti-e clip is in very good condition, considering- the dry spell during the close of last arid ix the beginning of the present vcar.

The recent spell of dry wearhar has vfry seriously threatened the grain crop, as until last month's rain fell the mound vas too hard and dry to be cultivated, and the sowing of grain will be v-ry .rite in cc:. sequence. There is a fair quantity of last season's wheat still in hand, but farmers are sitting on their bags, and are n-A quitting except at high prices. K-'cent sales by auction at Warwick record-ed 3s 6Jd for white, and 3s lid for hard wheats. It might be of some interest to no'e !nat during th<e year 1905 the area ;own w?s 177.000 acres, of which 40.000 <ail< d completely, 15.000 were cut or grazed as green forage, and 3000 acres were onvjr'oJ into hay. leaving 119,000 acres, or 67 i>er c€"t., of the area sown to bo 'eapeJ. Ihe yield for the year was 1,137,000 bushels or about 9£ bushels per acre.

Mr W. B. Slade, of Glengallan. Warwick, has generously offered to the State 50 of his purebred merino ewes from tba celebrated Glengallan flock. The" sheep of this flock have, under the watchful care of Mr Slade, attained a very high position as a type of the purest strain of Spanish merino without any admixture of strange blood. The gift is a valuable one to the State, and the spirit which has prompted it does infinite credit to Mr Slade, who has broken ground in a direction which might w-ell be followed by otber paetoralists cf his standing.