Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Thursday 20 April 1899, page 5


QUEENSLAND.«

J-o

(From Our Own Correspondents.)

j . GOODNA.,

Work on the .Farms-The Dairying Industry

-j-A Good Opening.

¿ ? i April 19.

The weather is still showery. The dis-trict is looking well. The farmers are busy gathering maize and pumpkins, and sowing

crops for Avinter feed.

There is a movement on foot to establish a branch of tile Hibernian A.C.B. Society at Goodna.\ ,

The dairy industry is yet in Its infancy. At present our export Is 190 gallons of cream and about 350 gallons of milk per Aveek. The industry Avas initiated In this district by a Mr. Campbell, who came from Victoria. He'jis a shrewd, practical, busi-ness man, and a believer in up-to-date methods of handling his stock. He arrived in this district about two and a-half years ago. His cows were all purchased in Queensland. Where he saw a good COAV, he Avas prepared to give a good price for her, and In this Avay he has secured the nucleus of a good herd. It is pleasing to note that others are turning their attention to this profitable industry. There are still thousands of acres available for dairy farms within a radius of ten miles of the raihvay -a splendid opening for energetic young

men. f

I NERANG.

A Favourable Season-Dairying Industry

Business Changes - Proposed Race Meeting. \

\ April l8.

The country aiid crops in this neighbour-hood look splendid., We have had good rains, and there is plenty of grass for the Avinter.-A meetlrfg of the.Agricultural So-ciety Avas held on, Saturday last, and office-bearers and committee were elected for the ensuing twelve months. The committee have arranged to 'meet at an early date, and make arrangements for the annual show.The dairying industry seems to be progress-ing. Three i or four more separators have started Avithin this last month, and over SOO pigs Avere sent from the Nerang station for Messrs. Hutton and Co.-Mr. J. Kerlin, Avho has been storekeeper here for at least ten years, has sold his business to Mr. Janies Herbert, late of Finney, Isles, and Co., Bris-bane. Mr. T. O'shea, Avho 'Avas for some time at Tallebadgera,,bas also opened a store here. Two gentlemen are going round the district to sec if there is any chance of erecting a saw-mill, and looking out for a site. It is thought that the mill may be put up near the Nerang RailAvay Station. This Avould he|p the district greatly.-The Race Committee has decided to hold a race meeting here on the 30th May next, under the Q.T.C. rules.-Mr. Rudd, of 'Mudgeeraba, purchased some pilze heifers, of first-class quality, at the Bangalore ShoAA'. ¡

CLIFTON.

ADril IS.

The weather Is showery, and splendid for growing crops. Large aieas are being put under Avheat, and a deal of it .s above ground already. Stock gener.tllv are in good condition, much better than they have been for the past nine months.

GOONDIWINDI.

Divisional Board Meeting-Proposed Show

Bridge Over Serpentine Creek.

April 15.

The Waggamba Divisional Board met last Wednesday. Messrs. Cameron, Hooper, Killen, (Marshall, and Watson were present. Mr. W. J. Hooper, the retiring chairman, was re-elected, and the clerk and foreman of works were reappointed for the ensuing twelve mouths. The valuation of last year was again adopted, and a general rate struck of three farthings in the pound. The tender of W. Dyer was accepted for clearing and widening twelve miles of road between Dun-more and Cecil Plains boundary, at 1s, per chain ; also, that of H. Frost, for draining and forming about one mile and a-half on the Inglewood-road, near Murrigiran, at 5s. 9d. per chain. The report of the foreman re- commended improvements and repairs on the Goodar and Western Creek road, and on the Goondiwindi and Welltown road, all of which were adopted by the board. Tenders will shortly be invited. The half-yearly financial statement to 31st December last was adopted, and showed a balance of £370 to the good after a total expenditure during the six months of £400.

Matters about here having been looking up a little since the favourable change in the weather set in, it is now proposed to try and run a pastoral and agricultural show this year after all. Before the rain came the idea had been entirely put aside.

The contractor for the new bridge over the Serpentine Creek is ready to start work. He has the piles on the ground, and the piledriver has been erected, but work is delayed pending a visit of inspection from the Works Department officer.

YANGAN.

The Season's Outlook-Increased Wheat

planting-'Maize and Potato Crops.

April IS.

The last fortnight has seen a pleasing change In the whole appearance of the coun-try. The brown parched look of three Aveelcs ago has given place once more to a fresh green hue, more like spring than au-tumn. Since the 7th instant the unusually mild weather for the season has been a sub-ject of general remark. On the morning of that day there was a slight but perceptible frost ; but since then the temperature has steadily ilsen, and the fears of a few AA'eeks back, that we were entering upon a hard winter, have been quite dissipated. Dairy-men are busy sowing barley and .rther grain as winter feed for their cows, and where it has been a feAV days in the ground it is shooting .up rapidly. There will be a large increase in the acreage under wheat this year over any pre-vious twelve months. This Increase will be partly owing to the constantly increasing area on the Canning Downs Estate, which neAV purchasers arc bringing under cultiva-tion, and partly on account of the too general

failure of the maize crop, which has led many to have the land cleared for the plough as soon as the maize was seen to bp past re-covery, so that it could be got ready In time for wheat. Farmers hereabout are rather chary about beginning to sow their wheat for a week or two on account of the splen-did growing weather we are having. Thej are afraid that the crop will he too forward, and will he caught in the blossoming stage hy the late frosts ; or that it may become so rank as to be lodged before coming into ear ; and. In either case, being greatly damaged, if not ruined. The rain carne In time to Inspire fresh hopes with regard to a number of late crops of maize and potatoes; and, should the frost keep away /or a few weeks more, there will still be fair yields in soma

instances of both these crops.

It is a matter of very general regret, es-pecially among scrub farmers, that prairie grass, which used to be such magnificent winter pasture a few years since, has almost completely disappeared on account of the dry winters we have lately experienced. Prairie Is purely a AVlnter grass, and unless it gets sufficient rain during the winter months, being a shallow rooting plant, it soon loses Us hold of the ground and disappears. Fortu-nately the hardy and ever-present couch grass Is always ready to take its place, and thus keep the land from being overrun with some of the numerous varieties of weed pests. The once despised couch Is now be-coming much better appreciated as a milk producer, ard in a general way, except when It finds Its way into the cultivated land, where It Is sadly out of place and gives a deal of trouble.

COLLAROY.

Weather and Stocfc.

April 19.

The weather during the past week has been showery, and is still unsettled. There started to-day from Ironbarks seventy-six draught horses, travelling north for sale, Phil Ussher" being in charge.

MACKAY.

Municipal Matters-Temperance Mission-A

Welcome Social.

April 19.

'At a meeting of the Municipal Council to-day the tender of Messrs. Pope, Maher, and Co., of Sydney, was accepted for watersupply pipes, the price amounting to £3600. The consideration of other tenders in con-nection with the waterworks was postponed.

Mr. John Vale opened a temperance mis-sion week to-day, when he was publicly wel-comed hy the local branch of the W.C.T.U. A presentation from the temperance lodge and clergy will take place in the School of Arts this afternoon.

The Rev. S. Larkin, Methodist minister, was entertained at a welcome social in the church last night.

.. The weather is still showery, hut there

are signs of clearing. s

CAIRNS.

A1 Libel Suit-The Harbour Board-Rail

Way Time-table-'Mining InvestmentsThe Cane Crop.

April 19.

Mr. J. P. Hoolan, who is at present in Cairns, has instructed Mr. F Lyons, solici-tor, to issue a Avrit for fi 1000 damages against the Charters Towera " Mining Standaid" for a libel alleged to be contained in a leading article recently published. Mr. Lyons will go to Charters Towers personally

to conduct the case at the trial.

At the Chamber of Commerce meeting on 'Tuesday, the sub-committee reported on the advisability of establishing a Harbour Board in Cairns ComBiäeration of the report Avas adjourned for a fortnight At the same meeting seA'ere strictures were passed on the Railway Commissioner with regard to the present Cairns-Moreeba railway time-table, and it was asserted that a more inconvenient and unsuitable time-tatile could not be evolved. Messrs. A. J. Draper, Tills, and others complained vjf the Commissioner's reply to the ursent appeal of the whole district for an alteration In the time-table.

Mr. Inch, reptesentlng English and South-ern capital, has purchased the Sweet "Wil-liam copper mine, near Mount Molloy ; also, the Tyrconnel gold mine, Hodgkinson.

Rain has been falling for the last two davs.

The cane overseer of the Mulgrave Mill, after careful inspection, estimates tïvt next season's crop at the Mulgrave will bJ=>

very heavy.