Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/755

 TRADE AND INDUSTRY. 719

The staple article of exports from Queensland to the United Kingdom is wool, the value of which was 324,348/. in 1864 ; 126,256/. in 1865 ; 304,765/. in 1866 ; 424,946/. in 1867 ; 332,976/. in 1868; and 405,145/. in 1869. Among the other articles of export to Great Britain are tallow and raw cotton, the former exported to the value of 43,052/. in 1869. Of raw cotton the exports to the United Kingdom were: — 200 cwt., valued at 2,497/., in 1864; 985 cwt., valued at 11,544/., in 1865; 1,837 cwt., valued at 11,714/., in 1866 ; 855 cwt., valued at 3,351/., in 1867 ; 7,725 cwt., valued at 37,935/., in 1868 ; and 12,181 cwt., of the value of 69,603/., in 1869. Among the imports of British produce into Tasmania in the year 1869, the chief were iron, of the value of 67,829/., and cotton goods, of the value of 38,866/.

There are several coal mines in the colony, producing about 18,000 tons of coal per annum. Great gold fields have hitherto not been discovered, though the metal is believed to exist in large quantities.

Most of the productions of both temperate and tropical countries can be cultivated with success in Queensland. The climate is stated to be particularly favourable to pastoral occupations. A bonus is offered by the Government of ten acres of land for the production and export of every bale of See Island cotton weighing 300 lbs. The extent of land set aside for the cultivation of cotton amounted to 2,021 acres in 1863, to 8,194 acres in 1867, and to 11,454 acres in 1868. The cultivation of the sugar cane spread from 94 acres in 1864 to 3,396 acres in 1868.