THE WESTERN DOWNS OF QUEENSLAND.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 613, 16 September 1909, Page 4

THE WESTERN DOWNS OF QUEENSLAND.

Sir—After: heavy rains the open • rolline downs of-Western Queensland arc amongst tho mosprolific and rmtural feed-producing in tho »■<"*!• -Endless foot in depth of black soil! that will grow most produce that is suited bv a warm climate. Tho rainfall is generally sue. .eeeded by such long, spells of dry "weather that «i',l „i!i m ? ' i d 'T lom61 om6 , tho ground is so hard mid sunbaked it absorbs so much moisture that the grass, will, if.burnt down-, ."spring" ■ throe or four times,.to its natural height un'd quality. The country is.intersected by various mere, such, as the Darr, Thompson, > Barcoo Dinnicnlina, all of which, with the exception of days after each rainfall, until'such times as \irth„ B , hower ..'makes- it reappearance, .ill the waters from these.rivers find tlieir ,wny eventually into Lake Eyre, in South Australia the.famousr lake that has no outlet, and where its waters find their way, no one seems to have an accurate idea. Nearly all the open Downs, country -has been'given,ovcr to sheep-fariiing for the last twenty-five years.-or so-tho land nearer tho mountains and scrub is used as cattle stations. The dingo,-or native dog, has been the bane of tho Queensland sheep man for many vears, but £1 a scalp and netting fences havo helped in a great measure to keep the pest back among ■ TifJ , Jh '^ heva h ,ocann°t do so.much harm. : Tho shorthorn«attlo and merino sheep are the main broods of stock bred in the central west. , lheso distinctive classes of their.species arc far and. away the most profitable thriven and wealth-producers •< of that part of. the worold. Excavated, tanks scooped from the foot of suit able catchment areas are'the means of supply, nig water-for the.stock when tho natural water holes have all dried up: Thcso tanks are, as a rule, well fonced-in most of .the year, and only i thrown open to tho stock when necessity doto 30,000 cubic.feet.-..1f some effective scheme wore to materialise by which the millions o[ gallons, of fresh-water that run to waste every ramfalL could be conserved for irrigation pur- . poses, this country Voiild carry a population ~- of millions. '.:, •■ ■• •■ .. ■ , " .The, rainfall is very irregular, and, owing to , the-'geographical, position -of tho country, will probably bo always so. It is quite a common thing for seven or eight months to go by without a snide drop of.rain.. Of course, the bie drought of lfflffl.and thereabouts was tho longest ever known in those parts, and may never hap. pen again, but there havo ; been many droughts ot smaller duration that have ruined hundreds of selectors, but have not been so disastrous tc , tho man of means, who has been able to travel ' I" 3 .'?'?!* and thus battle with the climatk . conditions. Western Queensland .for manj i years to come,' will bo a dangerous'ground foi ! the small man with limited.capital to pioneer , There, are no'such things as rabbits, ticks, ; BaUmrst-'burr, ■ or.' foot-rot; in the, Western ; Downs; there is also an absence of many mort ! pests and diseases.' There are millions of acres . available for smaller settlement of rich blacli • soil that .will grow almost anything, but be- . fore the .wator. difficulty is solved, no small man need lacklo . that country, and think ho can settle down and make a .good: living with any. ■ thing : approaching'.pormanency.—l am, 'etc., ■ ' '; !")-' : V.'''•'' v t,,; ■"''■ 4 '''■ : ''''"' -.bill, •'