Through the Mary Valley in 1911 – Part 4

This Blog post is part 4 in this series of articles which were published in the newspapers in 1911 and which gave a fairly detailed insight into what was happening on our farms in different areas around our district. Surnames of farmers mentioned in this article are: Hartnett, Butler, Smith, Friske, Fernandy and Ferguson & Co Ltd.  You can read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here.

Gympie Times and Mary River Gazette – 19 August 1911, Page 7

“The Farms and Industries – No 2.
(By Our Special Representative.)

REDBANK FARM.
Mr. Denis Hartnett has been 20 years in Lagoon Pocket. His Redbank farm has an area of 120 acrcs, nearly all of which is river flats, and to have river flats in Lagoon Pocket is to possess the best of farming land. The aim of all who farm the alluvial flats, whether on the Mary river or its large tributary streams, is to get the crops in early so that they may be harvested before the wet season brings along a flood to destroy those planted on the low lying areas. The alluvial flats are very fertile, and it is the periodical flooding that keeps them so, but this, like many other things, also has its disadvantages, for the flood water which leaves behind it fertilising silt also destroys whatever crops may come within its grasp. Mr. Hartnett had started planting potatoes, and was getting ready for corn. These staples, together with lucerne, oats, and wheat for chaff, constitute the main market crops.

Like almost every other farmer, Mr. Hartnett had the same story to tell of reduced crops owing to rust in oats. The Tartarian variety had for many years been planted and gave heavy yields of hay, but it now proved too rusty, and Algerian had been substituted. The latter variety was more resistant, but still suffered badly. No labor was employed, and Mr. Hartnett only under took what he could manage with the aid of his family. Dairying had only lately been started, his herd having been destroyed by red water when, that scourge first, made its appearance. From 25 to 30 head of cows will be milked. The cattle were a mixed lot, but a red Illawarra bull, a grandson of Jamberoo, had been placed at the head of the herd with a view to breeding something better. The cattle will have the run of the rich couch flats, and so should milk well.

ROSE FARM.
The proprietor of Rose Farm, Mr. E. Butler, was away at the time of my visit, but his son, who now under takes the principal part of the work , on the farm, kindly gave the necessary particulars of operations in progress. Rose Farm consists of 460 acres, but all the land is not contiguous. The bulk of the homestead farm is alluvial flat fronting the river, and dotted with lagoons, which gave to the locality its name of Lagoon Pocket. A high warm ridge, carrying deep red soil, rises back from the river, and on the slopes or this, the residence, with the barn, dairy, etc., are pleasantly situated. Here, as elsewhere, the area of ground cultivated shows a decrease, due to the scarcity of reliable farm labour at reasonable rates of pay.

Maize and oats for chaff are the principal crops on the farm. For the surplus chaff a ready market is found in Gympie. An oil engine is used in chaff cutting with satisfactory results. Dairying, however, is the main factor on the farm, and usually about 20 cows are milked. The Milking Shorthorn breed is liked best, and at present a Weive hurst bull is being used. – Redwater was responsible for the death of a well bred Shorthorn bull, for which Mr. Butler gave 18 guineas as a calf. A plunge cattle dip has been erected so that the ticks can be kept in check.

An attempt was made to put some of the river flats under paspalum grass but the results cannot be considered satisfactory. The land was ploughed and paspalum grass sowed over oats. There is now a solid mat of paspalum . which makes the ground very hard, and seems to choke the grass, with the rcsult that it makes no growth. The flat is a heavy black soil, and probably sets, too solid. The paspalum does well for a couple of years after start ing, and the opinion was hazarded that it probably requires to be ploughed up after three years’ growth. Here, as elsewhere along the river flats, fox-tail was putting in its claim to the best land.

This completed the Lagoon Pocket properties. Two families now reside where formerly half a dozen lived. Following the track taken by the cream waggon, a return was made to the Imbil-road which the railway will cross near the point where the road, from Lagoon Pocket junctions with the main road a short distance past Dead Horse Gully.

VIEWPOINT FARM.
On the western side of the road, and embracing the ‘head of Dead Horse Gully, Mr. H. Friske has taken up a selection of 280 acres, to which he has given the name of Viewpoint Farm, from the fact that a fine view is obtainable from a high point at the back of his farm. Though the selection was only granted two years ago, Mr, Friske has erected a comfortable five roomed house, and felled 50 acres of scrub. About ‘ 35 acres was planted with maize, and the crop is now being harvested. An additional 20 acres of scrub is also being felled, and before another 12 months Mr. Friske intends to drop more scrub up to the high point referred to with a view to planting bananas and paw paws above the frost line. On the area under corn there is an excellent stand of paspalum, with white clover showing through it. Rhodes grass was tried on about five acres, and is also, doing well. Wire netting on one side and felled scrub on the other prevent the wallabies getting on the young grass, whilst any that do happen to cross – the barrier are run down and caught against the wire netting by a couple of Mr. Friskes dogs.

THE SAWMlLL SELECTIONS.
Adjoining Mr. Friske’s selection on -the north, extending back to Amamoor Creek, going some distance. Up that creek and over to Pie Creek, are the selections commonly known as the “Sawmill Selections,” the property or Messrs- Ferguson and Co., Limited. They comprise a large area of scrub-land, from which enormous quantities of pine and other timbers have been taken, and log timber is still being hauled from them. Mr. Geo. Smith lives on a portion near Calico Creek, and at times cultivates a small area, but this year has no ground under the plough. He, of course, devotes all his time to timbergetting, keeping two horse teams and a bullock team constantly at work. ‘

MR. S. J. FERNANDEY’S PROPERTY,
On the ridge at the end of Long Flat is a property which has changed hands on more than one occasion in recent years, but has now passed into the possession of Mr. S. J. Fernandey by purchase from Mr. Griffin, though perhaps it is better known as Mr. Frank Barsby s farm. The farm fronts the Imbil Road, but extends back across Calico Creek, on the bank of which some cultivation has been carried on. Its area is about 300 acres. Mr. Fernandey, who comes from the Tweed River, had returned to New South Wales to fix up some business matters at the time of my visit. On the property were 119 cows imported from New South Wales. They were a mixed lot specially selected for their milking qualities. A Jersey bull had also been brought over. All the stock had just been inoculated for redwater. (To be continued.)”

This post was compiled by Kathy Punter

Sources: Trove; Gympie Family History Society Collection; Qld BDM; Ancestry; Gympie Cemetery Trust; Bing Maps.