BURNING BOG IN QUEENSLAND.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1805, 31 January 1884, Page 3

BURNING BOG IN QUEENSLAND.

A cokrksfovdkst of the TtocUhampton Bulletin at Westwood writes : —lt may be interesting to many of your readeis to .hear of the existence of a burning tn.i s "of vegetable matter which is to be found on the head of Onti.il CiceU, on "Woorooaa Station. Mr Chailes White, the manager, who has befii many yeais on 1 the station, informed us that beioro the flood of 1870 there weie large reed beds, . from one to two Inuulveil yavds in width, and extending many miles along a narrow valley — in faefc, foiming the •source of Central Creek. In the 1873 ■ flood the rush of water down the valley cut a channel which drained off the water, leaving a mass of vegetation - much resembling a gieat bo«. This caught fire by some means, probably from 1 a bush fire, in 1575 or 1576, and has been smouldering ever since, and possibly may " burn on for many years to come, The 1, flood carried vast quantities of the peat- < like substance down the neck, strewing it over flats and depositing it in the gullies on either side. These became ignited from bush fires, and burnt out, ,some of them burning for three years. It would be impossible to say what stock aud game of different kinds have perished ifi the these fiies, as theie is \eiy little outward sign of danger, there being little or uo smoke. Anyone not aware of the fire midJfeeath would perhaps venture to cross, when he •would suddenly sink out of Bight in a burning mass of flour-like t ashes, from which escape would be impossible. A neighbouring squatter some years ago, seeing a mob of cattle on ' the other side of the valley, attempted to crOB3j thinking the place secure, but was horrified to imtl his horse sink down. He !only escaped by instantly regaining the oQ B nd ground, fortunately little hurt, the dangerous position he had got into. Stock have become so wary they never attempt to cross except by well-known roads, although occasionally one sees a calf severely burnt. As soon '.as the fire has burnt out in any place a wonderful growth of young timber (Eucalypti) springs up, which in six or twelve months changes an ash heap into 1; a dense scrub, the trees attaining a height of 20ft. in a very short time.

- Good Insecticide.— Carbolic acid well (diluted with water and applied to plants ia an excellent insecticide. If applied too strong, however, it will destroy the foliage. A dessert spoonful of ciude caro, bolic acid to a pint of water will be sufficient. • Poking the whole of her recent rodis- ' position and depression, the Queen of gi England has never neglected her business, her large correspondence, or in the .^leaefc remitted her attention to publi« »' ' jtffaira. • ' On the occasion of the presentations of i Chfe'Vega Medal at Stockholm, Sweden %&jff'Cibe Society of Authopology and « Geography, to the American Minister, Mr Stevens, for the African traveller i«» Henry M. Stanley, Dr Oscar Montelius, who tendered it, begged that Stanley that in the northern parts - ofJßWo'peliv'ea people who With great lijßWrerfc follow all that he does for the S f pren^ of civilisation in Africa.