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The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864-1933) (about)
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Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1325766
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THE LOGAN AND ALBERT.
(FBOM OUIi BPK0IAL BEl'OETEU.)
RETUBNIKO- down tho Albert, and a couple of milos holow tbo bridgo, wo como to a property belonging to Mr Graham, of South Brisbano, and of which Mr Strachan bas ohargo, It con- tains 370 acres fenced in, and nearly an equal area unfoncod. Thoro wero two and a-half acres undor cotton last season, tho yield from which was bolter than at many other places, boing at tho rate of twolvo hundrod pounds to tho aero. At the boundary of this land the old bod of tbo
river makca a detour of soma distnnco. Tho I present channel ia moro direct, and hns a rocky bottom, over which tho wator falla, in a suecos sion of threo cascades, from a total height of twonty-nino foot. Much of tho grouud is naturally well drained, and would grow any crops oxcept. BUgar-cano, for which tho winter seems to bo too cold.
Next thoro is a farm of 430 acres belonging to Mr Steele, of Brisbane, and on which hie brother-in-law, Mr Wuldron, and family reside.
The last cotton crop hero waa only half of what 1
a fair ono should bo. Mr Waldron intends to |
eultivnto twenty or thirty acroB of land th¡B year,
one-half of which will bo undor cotton. For | two years running ho tried to grow BUgar-cano,
of which ho had twclvo varieties, but the plante ! wero killed by tho frost. j
The next placo of any importance is tho june- | tion of Cedar Creek with tho Alhort, whoro thoro ia a Wealoyan Chapel, and a school ia about to bo erected, tbo noceasary funda having been sub- scribed. The principal cultivator hero is Mr Bowser, who has 320 acres. After having por aovercd for BÍX years in growing rotton at a loss, ho toys ho has now dono with it for over. He had tbreo acres of it last season and the crop turned out a failure. He now gives hil attention to tobacoo and arrowroot. Of tho
former he intonds to grow fivo ncres this year and two acres of tho latter. He has a horse machino for manufacturing the arrowroot, but proposes in future to uso water-power. Beside* tho rivor and tho creok, thero aro fino springs of water on tho property. Tho other crops oui tivatod aro sweet potatoes for feeding horses and pigs, oats for hoy, and a considerable variety of vogotables. I saw tho seed beds for tho tobacoo, in which the young plants wero jost beginning to show themselves. Tho Virginian variety is grown from sood obtained from Mr J. B. Bur- nett. Tho soil ia first well burnod and sifted, and thou mado into raised beds so aa to ensuro thorough drainiug. The ground can thon bo watored as frequently as desirnblo in warm weather, for the burning provonta it from becom- ing crusted. On the beds thoro woro sovoral small patchos of a ourious fungoid growth, which forma first in tbo shapo of a sort of greyish mould, aud tbon beoomes a minute oraugu-colorod fungus not unliko in appoarandb, although much leas in size, to thoso whioh aro found upon dood treos. It doos not look woll to bo growing amongBt tho young plants, but I wus told that oxporienco wont to provo that it did thom no harm. Tbo tobaeco-houso and other buildings woro festoonod with last j oar's crop, which, from tho smell and touoh, pro- mised well ; but much additional accommoda- tion will bo provided for curing and mauufacturo Bhould tho forthcoming crop turu out woll. Mr Bowsor, who lina a Uno fumily of ohildrou, complninod of tho difficulty of gotting thom vncoinoted, which oould bo done only by taking thom to Brisbano. Considering the not impro bablo rUk of small-pox making its way from on« of tho soaports, it would scorn only right that a Government vaccinutor should visit each of tho eottled districts onco a yoor.
On Oodar Crook ia also tho proporty of Mr Daniels, who lins about a thousand acres, and somo moro highor up tho Albert, whioh is ohicfly used for cuttlo brooding. Ho scorns to hove mudo a good speculation in latoly buying from tho codai- oultors tho logs thoy abandoned, somo noarly tou yours ugo, owing to tho prico given thon boiug very low. During the last few yours tho murkot has boon rising, and cedar booomo moro vnluublo. Owing to tho dur ablo churaotor of this wood it has sullerod vory little from its long oxposuro to tho woothor. VVhon thoro is ii "frosli" or flood in tho rivers, tho logs aro floated down and guthored at tho " rafting places." Tho rafts uro then carried by tho curront aud ebb tides to tho Bay, whoro thoy uro takon in tow by a steamer mid brought to Brisbano. Thoro is uo Btnnding oodar in tho district now, uxcopting high up the rivors or in plucoa difficult to got at.
A milo or two from Cednr Creok I crossod
(ho Albert by n good ford, and mndo my way to Bconlcigh, passing tho sugar (limitations already dosoribod. 1 uni sorry that timo did not allow mo to call nt ouo or two moro of tho properties, owing lo tho delay that would bo ocoasioiiod by frequently crossing tho rivor, and thoro boing
only ono punt on tho Lowor Albort. From , whut I have einoo bonni, I rogrot to havo missod Tiiurongu, the plantation of tho Messrs Boss, which is etntod lo bo woll managod und whoro good enno is to ho soon.
Two mile» from Beenleigh, mid on tho loft bank of tho Logan, is Mr Wilson's sugar-mill. I left my horan ut n furm-houso, und crossed over in a boat. Tho farm in question is situated in a " pookot," having a rioh, friable, alluvial soil, mid, Uko moat of tho holdings in this im- mediate neighborhood, is ownod by a Gorman. The settlors of that nationality do not, us a rulo, (uko np much ground, forty noros or so satisfying tho majority of thom ; hut thoy cul- tívalo it well, Iho wouion appearing to do as niuoh of Iho field work na tho mon, mid ovon tho small strength of young children is utilised. Bo tweou tho homostond buildings thoro is a dividing fonce, but thoro uro no such divisions hetwoon tbo fields hack from tha road. Standing on the opposite sido of the rivor, this pookot of somo five liundrod uoros, together with the banks of tho distant reaches on either hand, appear Uko ouo largo farm, and tho viow afforded is a vory pleasing ouo. Tho crops uro principally maizo and cotton, tho Orermiins boing too cautious to onter upon tho cultivation of Bugar cuno to nny extent uutil Büro of thoro boing u mill in tho neighborhood.
Tho sugar boiling works of Mr Wilson oro Bituatod upon a comparatively small area of ground, tho proprietor growing no cane of his own, mid boing content with enough timoor lund to supply fuol for tho furnaces. Tho mills which Mr Schwabe hus orectod ia this district uro very compact, tho objcot boing flint ovory operation can at tbo Bunio timo bo under tho observation of tho person in ohargo ; but this mill oxcols in that rospoot, and when finished will probably bo tho most completo on tho river. The rollers aro thirty-six inohos in longth by twenty inohos in diameter, and aro oapublo of crushing suffi- cient oano to mako three lons of sugar por day. Thoy will ho driven, as well IIB tho Bour pan, by tho main ongino, whilst a pair of contrifugals aro to bo worked by indopondont engines-the wholo supplied by Btouin from a mullitubular boiler. Tho three olariflors nvo of a oonatruotion nowhoro OIBO soon in this diBtriot. Thoy aro heated by copper pijios, Buppliod with tho ex- haust steam, up to u certain tomporaturo, whon dircot steam ia admitted by a amallor pipo within I tho exhaust ono. Tho pipos work on trunnions,
and con bo rnisod whon tho clarifiera aro boing cloanod. Tho buttery is u composite ono, divided into three round and throo flat pans, with a total capacity of two thousand gallons. Tho mothod of sugar making to bo omployed is ua follows !-The cano juioo na oxprossod from tho mill paesos through strninors to tho olari- flors, whoro it is temporod with limo ; thouco it is conducted through strninors, or blanket filters, to tho battery, whoro it is evaporated until it roucboB a density of 28 dogs. Boaumó ; thouco by moana of n crnno and dipper tha wholo contonts of tho last pan aro run into rccoivors ; subsequently it pnsaoa into tho Boar pan, whoro it is evaporated to a proper dogroa of density for running into coolers. Aftor granulation tho half-forniod sugar ia dried in tho centrifugals, tho molasses falling into tanks underneath. Tho maohinory is by Messrs Hanna, Dougald, and Wilson, of Paisley. Arrangements had boon mado for tho crushing of seventy ncrcB of cane, notwithstanding that tho works hud not boon fiuUhod. As most of tlio oano will bo received hy water, a tramway loada up from tho wharf to tho mill, whoro tho truck pusses on to a weighing machino.