BACK FROM QUEENSLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 188, 30 July 1908, Page 4

BACK FROM QUEENSLAND.

A UAWJiIiA FAlUllilt'S ADVICE. " STAY' IX NEW ZEALAND." The booming Unit Queensland lias lately been t'ji'juj iug in this Dominion has turned the and attention of a great number uf New Zealanders towards Australia's north-eastern Stale. Stories

have been told of big parcels of New Zealand capital that have found investment there, and a cry has been made lest Queensland should drain this country of a considerable number of enter-

prising settlers. There are some, however, who journey to this Canaan to spy out the promised land and return disappointed. Amongst the latter is Alt*. W. Appleyard, a well-known llawera dealer ami farmer, who spent some timo in a fruitless search for suitable land. In conversation with a llawera Star representative, ,\lr. Appleyard was very emphatic against Queensland when compared with New Zealand. '"Here," lie saidj "you know what you're doing; there, you don't. You might make money this year and be a bankrupt tlie next.*'

Air. Apple,yard landed at Sydney, ami pushed northward through New South "Wales by train, taking the opportunity to inspect tlu- country about Tamworih. This is more of a wheat country than dairying, .where land fetches from to .CO or £.l per acre. "In good sea- . sous you inijjht get 24 bushels to lie.! j acre—but then there are bad seasons.

rliey pull yon right bill.-];." A run over the famous Darling Down Mr. Ajiplt-j'iinl declared to be altogeUic 1 isrtppointiiiy. Vrom Warwick to Tot ivoomba—a stretch of tit) miles over deu level country, which could be viewe for a great distance oil I'otli sides of th line—lie did not. see SOU liead of eattl „r 101)11 sheep. Of course tliev _ had drought. Tile grass was all dried U( there being not a blade of green. Other parts of the country were, visit Ml, biit with 110 better results. He fouiv a settler with 700 or 1000 acres ruwiiii; 50 head of cattle, who thought he \va doing remarkably well. When it came to a recital of the eM mies of the pastoralists the picture wa worse. Sheep were pestered with th worm ami maggot, cattle with ditl'eicu diseases, and there were burl's and prick lv pears and dingos. Besides, it wa colder and there was more frost than i I'aranaki. "Then when your cattle wen on their way to Sydney market it migli be found that they had tick, and ban, they would go into quarantine and b stores before you know where you are. Another grievance was that stock truck were unavailable oil short notice, a'.l sometimes one had to wait a month 'o them. " At Toowoomba," said Mr. Appleyan "I saw cauliflowers at 2s Od each am little bits of cabbages—that would tai-: half a dozen to make a meal—at ui each." . Asked if the land, considering its pric and quality, was not as good as Ne> Zealand's, Mr. Appleyard said, " No, it no good at all. liclieve me, they've 110 wanting for money ill New South WaK and if the Queensland country was wort: anything it would be snapped up. .tie sides, you ran grt the land on any term you like; much' easier than here. 1 sin a New Marnier there who > had 20 acres, and when she knew I was lookinj for land said, with tears in her e.ve.= ' Don't break up your home ill Ncv Zealand; don't come here.' You se', llr. Appleyard added, "it's a squatter'! country; it's no place for a small man.' Tin'u vou would not advise farmers U buy land ill Queensland? No,'' was the decided reply. "I could ulvise lio one to go there. A careful nan can do better here. I should say: liny in New Zealand."

ANOTHER NEW ZKALANDER'S OPINION. Mr. (J. Wratten, an old Wairarapa boy, who lias been farming all his life, and for the past six years lias resided in the King Country (Waitomo Caves) recently read such glowing accounts of the famous Darling Downs that he made up his mind to take, a three months holiday, and go over there to investigate for himself, and if satisfactory he proposed to sell his present holding in the King Country and go to Queensland. Mr. Wratten lias just returned, and stayed in Fending with some friends.

Asked by a representative of the Manawatu Times for his opinion of Lhe Queensland land as compared to that :n New Zeahmd. his reply was "give me the New Zealand land every time, although four times the price." New Xcalanders, in his opinion, who had ir-vi-sU-d in 1 hiii country would eventually be sorry for it.

The position to his mind was simply thus; Quei'ii.-danders hurt had two good season*. Everything was looking at jta be*t dow. und advantage was being taken of this to lioom the land and " make hay while the sun shines." There wcru many drawbacks Now Zealanders knew nothing aliout to the Downs districtone Wi'.s that sheep could not he bred successfully. The country was wormy, and the corkscrew grass seed got into the udders of the sheep, causing inflammation, and consequently the iambs were not allowed to suck. The- prickley pear was spread all over the countrv. The pastoral lands being ollered at '£3 per acre would not carry more than one sheep to the acre. New Zealand hill land at £7 or £8 per acre was preferable and cheaper.

Men engaged in dairying in Queensland had to depend principally on lucerne crops for feed for their cows. The black soil, aml great growth of grass in a good season, such as they had had, was certainly very alluring to the average farmer, but be preferred to give £2O per acre for land in this .Dominion rather than go over there and take the great risks of giving- £8 and £lO per acre.

Although they apparently had had i good season stock did not look as well as it did in New Zealand. The highesl prices obtainable for prime beef in Queensland were, £5 10s, store bullocks £3 10s. Ho saw a line line of three-yeir-old hi'ifcrs hi calf disposed of for £2 10s.