QUEENSLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 9

QUEENSLAND.

Brisbane, January 7. Glorious rains have fallen during the month, affording most ample relief except in a few localities, and even there the rain has been sufficient to dispel the anxiety for the immediate future. All the inland rivers and creeks have been in flood, tanks and dams filled which have been empty for many weary months past, and already ur.dcr the cloudy, humid atmosphere the feed i<> growing luxuriantly. No rain equalling this month's record has been experienced during December since 1894, and oven without further falls we are safe for the next six or eight months. All the sheep that were away on rel ef country have received marching orders 'home as soon as the roads will permit travel, and. needless to sey, all stock telief trains have been cancelled The immediate effect of the rains has been the withdrawal of large lines of stock from the market, or they are offering at increase! prices, and en almost immediate inquiry for station properties. Prior 10 the rain =)he.-i< ■were offering at very low prices, ewes of any age being almost given away. Vindex sold a large line as 3s 6d, and Listowei also contracted to deliver a similar lot at the same price before the rain came. At present business is very slack, and until values adjust themselves agents are merely .marking time. In view of reports as to the prevalence of the bot fly in the~<listrict between Beenleigh and the southern border, the Government recently gent two officers on a visit of investigation. It was found that the pest was spread over a considerable area, and the conclusion was arrived at that it was likely to increase. This is the first time this fly has been found in this State, and 1 the suggestion is made that it has been broughi on travelling entire horses from lS T ew South Wales. The inquiry, however, failed to determine whether or not the fly directly injures its host or not, the inability of the investigators to ascertain this being due to the fact that the occurrence of the insect in Queensland is of so recent a date, or has been too little marked to afford the opportunity of doing so. AltHbugh no direct evidence was obtained, it wa« not unlikely that some deaths amongs; horses from causes not know at the time were due to the bot fly. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Adelaide, January 10. No possible fault can be found' with the •weather for the past four weeks from the l>oint of view of the " man on the land." The man in the city is not so easy to please. He sighs for sunshine in midwinter, and growls because the sun is in evidence in the middle of summer ! .Turing the last eight days the thermometer has daily topped the century, but the _pa->toral-ist has not been heard to complain, 'or a very nice rain fell a few weeks ago, whilst the farmers in the midst of harvesting operations were delighted at the prospect of being able to gather their crops in excellent condition. A little more than three weeks aro a good general rain fell sufficient to replenish water supplies and freshen the herbage in the outside as well as in the inside country, and since then the weath'-r has been just what everybody expects it to be at this period of the year— hot. From one end of this State to the other there is unprecedented prosperity, and even the most confirmed grumblers and professional pessimists are not able to discover anything to growl about. It is even admitted that legislators hare gone into recess without [having accomplished much mischief during a. session lasting- over five months ! Following upon a profitable wool season and a period ,of good prices for fat stock, tbe cereal growers are now reaping a crop which is exceeding all the pre-harvest estimates. The November rains completely altered the situation, and added several bushels of wheat to the acre from one end of £h°. State to tbe other Grain "stacks are

daily assuming larger and larger dimensions at all the chief railway stations, and day and night long trains of wheat are moving towards the shipping ports. The Railway Department is being- taxed to its utmost capacity, and partly as the result of the wheat harvest it is expected that the revenue from railways will exceed the commissioner's estimate by fully £100,000. About half tho publio debt of the State is represented by railways, which will return this year between 6 and 7 per cent, on capital cost ! When producers are coining money, and the public revenue is in a buoyant condition, a few hot days in January can be accepted with becoming philosophy. The surprising feature of the record wool clips and the bountiful harvest is that the rainfall during the year was by no means good. In some districts it was below the average. The moisture, however, came at periods when it was most wanted, and when it Vould do the maximum amount of good. In other words, the year 1907 will always be remembered as providing variable seasons to begin with, but always finishing well. In the upper north agricultural areas the average rainfall was exceeded, but the lower north fell short by 3in to 4in. The western districts were about normal, whilst the south and Fouthcastern country had less rain than the average. In the pastoral areas the far north had a little in excess, vihilsc the rorth-east and north-west just maintained the average. The manager of the Government Produce Department, in his annual report for the year ending 30th June, 1907, states that the actual profits for the year, after paying working expenses and interest on capital, amounted to £820 on the freezing works and £228 on the butter factory— £lo4B, as against £1620 the previous year. The export of lambs lias incrt>i=ed from 1751 careas^s in 1895-6 to 251.569 in 1906-7. the asrgresrate shipments amounting to 1,277.563 carcases for the 12 seasons. Mutton shipments were 1097 in 1895-6 and 3047 in 1906-7. The largest shipment in one year vi as in 1902-3, when exports reached 38,120 carcases. The best return received from London was 16s M ncr lamb for 200 carcases averaging 40.901b, and the lowest 9s Ud for 90 lambs. The export of butter was 876 tons. The value of oversea shipments for 1906-7 -was : —Lambs, £80.514; mutton, £1836; butter, £98,140. The la-mb and butter industries are reputed as being in a healthy condition, with signs of steady expansion. ~*