ance have you had from the department in developing your land, and what effect have they had in inducing better methods of cultivation?—I have had absolutely no assistance from the department.

7369. Are their efforts of no benefit at all?—None at all. The railway transport service at Three Springs is fairly satisfactory, and the company makes a reasonable attempt to carry on the settlers' business, considering the times. The freights on super. are high, but the same remark applies to the Government railways also.

7370. To Mr. CLARKSON: I have 450 acres in crop, but no fallow. I believe in fallow, and it should certainly increase the yield.

7371. To Mr. PAYNTER: I have no fallow ready for next year.

7372. To Mr. CLARKSON: I use 40lbs. to 45lbs. of seed to the acre, and 50 lbs. of super. I have Federation, Yandilla King and Lott's middle season wheats. The highest average yield I have had was 24 bushels over 350 acres last year. This year I estimate my return will be 16 bushels. It requires three bags or a little more to pay the expense of putting in and taking off. A fair average yield for the district in normal years would be from 12 to 15 bushels. I use a four-furrow McKay mallee plough and a ten-disc Shearer. The Shearer takes eight horses. A fair day's work is from seven to eight acres. I use a 15 and a 13 drill. The 15 drill does about 17 acres. I have a six foot and a five foot Sunshine harvester. The six foot does seven acres a day, and the five foot about five and a-half acres.

7373. Do you think the farmer could reduce his costs by the employment of larger machinery?—No, because there is too much lost time in yoking up and unyoking horses, and I consider six horses quite enough for any man to handle. I do not know much about bulk handling or whether it would reduce costs. I have not given any consideration to the tariff.

7374. To Mr. PAYNTER: I had a little rust last year, but nothing to speak about. I have tried some fodder crops, and artificial grasses, with but little success except the rape, although that was small, and was really an experimental plot. I have peach trees and vines, but I do not think any pip fruit will do any good here. I keep a few pigs, but not for market. The same applies to poultry. A man, in order to make a living at mixed farming under the best methods here, should hold at least 2,000 or 3,000 acres, and with help at harvest time cropping, fallowing, and cultivating, he should be able to do 600 acres all fallowed. But he would want help at seed time also. One man with one team would be doing good work if he cropped over 400 acres. I do not think the present land laws tend to encourage settlement. The prices and the conditions are too severe. They were all right at the time I took my land up, but things are different now. There is land I would not have at the time, but I took another man up there and he was asked 7s. 6d. an acre for it. I got some of mine for 4s. 3d. Grazing land is better taken up under Clause 93 at £1 per thousand acres.

7375. By Mr. VENN: Do you find that your sheep pay you better than anything else?—Yes. I might mention that I am actually working four farms, as I have two brothers away at the war, and I am working a plant on each of their properties, so it is difficult to say what it costs to work my place at the present time. With a better water supply I would carry 1,200 sheep. Rabbits are getting round here, but they have done no damage so far to the crops. Dingoes were troublesome about four years ago, and are getting troublesome again now.

7376. To the CHAIRMAN: There is no poison here, and there is not much in the district generally. Three Springs proper extends east about ten miles, and I have heard there is country taken up beyond that, but not yet worked. I think Three Springs has a prosperous future before it. I am quite confident of my own individual case. I consider that the land should be given free to the settler for the first five years. The survey fee should be paid. Then there are many complaints as to the high cost of bags and machinery.

7377. To Mr. PAYNTER: The soil here is not very deep when you get into blue or white clay. There is a good subsoil. The rainfall is given by the department at 16 inches a year, but I consider that to be too high, although we have had as much as 19 inches. But the average would only be 13 or 14 inches.

7378. By the CHAIRMAN: The Carnamah record over 20 years gives an average of 15.50. You should surely have about the same?—Perhaps so, but I spoke of the last five years more particularly, and we certainly have no average 15 inches over that period.

7379. By Mr. PAYNTER: Did you have a total failure in 1914?—No. I had 60 bags of wheat over 600 acres, but I had no hay.

(The witness retired.)

ERNEST ALFRED FIELD, Storekeeper, Mingenew, sworn and examined:

7380. To the CHAIRMAN: I am business manager for Messrs. Pearse and Herbert, storekeepers. I have been resident here for 22 years, and was 15 months in Dongarra, so that I have seen the whole rise of the agricultural industry. The largest farmers here are Frank Pearse, George Gooch, William Kerr, Edward Broad, who is 14 miles east of Mingenew, Thomas Wells, H. J. Pascoe, H. Rhodes, S. J. Phillips, S. F. Moore. They cultivate anything from 500 acres upwards.

7381. How long has wheat growing been carried on to any extent?—Fifteen years. Prior to that it was all pastoral industry. The rainfall here is supposed to be 15 inches annually. The rainfall that we want is that which falls between May and September. I have no record myself, but Mr. Armstrong, of the post office, has the figures.

7382. What would be the average yield?—I think it would be good and bad. Possibly 14 bushels would be near the mark. It has been as low as nine and as high as 25. Plenty of patches have gone 35 bushels.

7383. Is the wheat-growing settlement financially solid?—Up to the present although they are becoming decadent. There is a smaller area this year than last, and it is likely to be less next year. The cause is depression owing to financial matters.

7384. By Mr. CLARKSON: Do they follow the best methods here; do they fallow and keep their machinery under cover?—Every man's land wants different treatment. When a man takes up a farm it might take him five or six years to find out the