QUEENSLAND AND ITS RESOURCES.

Waipawa Mail, Volume I, Issue 21, 23 November 1878, Page 2

QUEENSLAND AND ITS RESOURCES.

Under the head of •* Run in Queensland,” a correspondent of the Town and Country Journal writes as follows : Queensland is 60 extensive, and her resources are so numerous and so great, that I do not feel at liberty to state just now the things only of which I shall speak. Of course it will be expected that I shall write principally on matters relating to here that tliis”great "industry will not bo left out in the cold. Sugar growing is important industry that is, at present, la my opinion, less than in its infancy. A gentleman who has a fine sugarfarm north of Rockhampton, told me that 7,000 were grown on his place, and that acme 60,000 or 70,000 tons were grown in the colony ; and I hope, for the eake of Queensland, and Australia generally, that the day is not far distant when a million tons will be grown. I do riot see why it should not be done, for there is sufficient rich land about the fine big runs to grow* it. Wheat of an excellent kind is grown on the Darling Downs, where is sufficient rich land and a suiUble climate, owing to its elevation, to grov enormous quantities, and not only there, but Peak Downs and other places far too numerous to mention here. I have heard that Mr Davenport, of the Darling Downis has this year grown large quantities of grand wheat, which paid him £IO,OOO for his trouble. The want of water is a ?reat drawback to the advancement of the colony, but that will be overcome by decrees. Another drawback is the heat, bu. there is no scarcity of rich land, for durhg my travels I saw little else but soil rich enough to grow anything. Nothin* surprised me more than the enormous extent of rich soil ; and all kinds of it bo. What will people in Victoria and Nev Zealand say to this ? You can travel oveithis soil, not only for days, but weeks and months, without meeting with any ether. I travelled over 3,000 miles in th country, and do not reckon I saw 5 percent, of poor soil. Of course a great ded of this beautiful land will not be cultivated until Australia can boast of a popuition of perhaps fifty million. But thee is one thing certain, the soil is there and it grows good grass and herbageand big bullocks. The increase of cattlein those parts is worthy of special notiee.as the subject has been mentioned to me n New Zealand, Victoria, and New South Vales—indeed, it has not only been mentiaed, but a kind of “ scare” lias seized manywho think cattle will increase now so rpidly in Western Qneensland that, in a \sry few years they will be at ruinously lov prices. If one really determines to k.ow what Queensland is, they must see it. It is very difficult to get a good id a of it from most people, and, strange b say, the further north I went, t!ie less aost agents seemed to know of the “ west ” and I may also mention the best gen<ral information I got of Queensland was from Melbourne men. Of course every agent will tell you of the “ splendid op*n forest country and beautiful rolling lowns abundantly watered, heavily grassid, and abounding with saltbush, and other fattening herbage ’* “ Blue and Mitchell grasses” are oC?, r favorite terns. The description of a run is often the best thing about it, but I have seen some rans better in every respect except water ;han any description that came under my rotice yet. I do not mean to run the agents down, for the majority are very good business men, and would not refuse eiglty thousand for a seventy thousand staticn if you offered it. One “ knight of the hammer”, offered me a thousand miles of dry country west of the Herbert River at only £8 per mile. “ Magnificent country,” said he. No doubt he saw a good deal of 44 green” about me ! I happened shortly after to a weatern man.

•nd asked him if he knew the country. ** Know it,” said he; “I should think I did. Why the whole thousand miles wouldn't feed a rat—it’s all spinifex.” I mention this to show how much care people require to take when 44 run hunting.” I met with several who had gone to the Herbert and other outlandish parts, expecting to find those “ beautiful rolling downs,” Ac., hut instead, found sand ridges and spinifex. Now, this kind of th'ng is very annoying, and this system of misrepresentation has done Western Queensland, and indeed the whole colony, considerable injury, and should be put down. I know for a fact that a number of buyers have returned at an early stage disgusted. Fancy a man going from Melbourne or New Zealand to inspect a run in Queensland, on the strength of the description given by an agent, elated with the prospect of seeing those “ magnificent downs,” Ac., 44 the cheapest thing in the market,” 44 a really safe investir. nt,” Ac., and, instead, find the country abounding with marsupials, brigalow, and speargra‘s. How can it be expected that people will invest in a country where they are treated in this shameful manner? I was very angry on several occasions about some avkward things that came under my notice ; but, at tne same time, I should he sorry to run down the country or the whole community, because I got crooked treatment from a few.