The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-05-27 00:00:00

COTTON FROM MORETON BAY.

That portion of the colony of New South Wales known as the
Moreton Bay district, p. ssesses an immense area admirably adapted
as the great fled fer th growth of cotton. The area may be defined
as extending from the mouth of the Clarence River to Port Carti,=,
and extending parallel with the coast to a distance of at least a hun-
dred miles in the exterior. The whose of th,s district is supplied with
navigable streams and numerous small creeks, which would aff rd
unequalled facilities for bringing down the produce to the ports on
the coast for shipment. Small parcels of cotton have been grown in
different parts of the area thus defined, end with very great success.
The results attending the partial culture of the crops show that the
soil and clmate are admirably adapted; manure has not been found
necessary, but when revired, it can be obtained from the"salt-water
mud in the rivers and creeks." The crop is usually sown in Sept. or
the early part of October, the plants are in flower in the latter part of
December, and the crop is ready for picking la January or February,
accenting as it maybe the first or second ytar's growth. The average
yield per acre is from 1,000 to 1.200 ibs. per acre, and the vane of the
land per acre is about 20s. The cotton hitherto snit from Moreton.
Bay has b. en generally hand-picked, and the value put upon it has
been from Is 91 to 2s 6d per I There is no reison to suppose that
the profits attending the culture of cotton in Moreton Bay would not
afford sufficient inducement to the colonist. the expenses of the
cu tivation are not large—that is, supposing the ordinrry modes only
are employed, the greatest cost being incurred in the picking and
cleaning, or "ginning" the crop. And with respect to the picking of
the crop, it is a circumstince moat a :v ,ntageous to tke colony that
the season extdnds over four of the coolest mon+ h.s, and that experi-
enre, no to the present time, shows that the crop is peculiarly free
from the ravages of insects.

CONVICTION OF A WAKEFIELD TRADESMAN FOR RECEIVING
STOLEN PROPERTY.—Some time since we detailed the par-
ticulars connected with the robbery of horse hair from the
cushions of Messrs. Taylor and Son's carriages, on which
occasion it was stated that two lads. named Patrick
Madonald end Michael Boyle, were convicted for stealing
the property, and that Mr. Alexander Brady, furniture
dealer, was likewise committed for receiving it. At the
Bradford sessions, on Friday last, all the parties were
found guilty ; Macdonald being sentenced to nine months'
imprisonment ; Boyle to fOur, and Mr. Brady to twelve
month& imprisonment. The severity of the last sentence has
occasioned some surprise in Wakefield, as it was a first
offence, and as a shilling would represent the value of the
property. received. Mr. Brady is a man in years, and
looks in infirm health, and it is surmised by many that he
'will not survive the period of his punishment.
RI PORT ON 1 Rzsir CONVICT PRISUNS.—The third annual
report of the directors of convict prisons in Ireland was
printed on Saturday. The accommodation in the govern-
ment prisons for, convicts on tlie Ist of January last is
estimated at 3,486, and the number in custody on that day
was 2.614 in the government prisons, and IG2 in the
• county and city jails, rnaking a gross total of 2,776. 389
convicts were sentenced in Irklaii;l in 1856. Gencral'y
spealting,lhe indastry of the convicts has been very satis-
factory.; the record .of industry being known to effect
their progress in the advantages of classification, has
been a cOnsfant stimulus, which, it is hoped, will become
skid mere powerful with the men ' now under sentence of
penal servitude, when the directors are able to place before
them some more tangible reward than is afforded by the
mere increase of earnings onsecoent On their attaining
higher classificatiQtt.