growing. Some of the land is ease and north of Mingenew, and the rest of it scattered down the river, but it is not all first class land. We devoted ourselves to grazing more than farming. Most of our land is second class. It is all fenced and stocked, so we are independent of wheat growing.

7446. What would be the carrying capacity of 100,000 acres?—We run about 14,000 sheep and 200 horses on the average, and a few cattle, say 200 head, but it is difficult to say straight off, but you have to occupy every inch of your land to do that much.

7447. What is the highest price that has been paid for land within your knowledge?—I am told that Dongarra land was sold for £10 opposite the railway station, but none has been sold here since the Midland land was sold. On the Yandanooka estate I understand there are 60,000 acres.

7448. How much of it is considered first class?—A good deal of it is first class grazing land. for agricultural purposes it is hilly and rough, that is the western portion of it. I cannot say what is the exact area of good land. At Yarragadee station we have 1,000 to 1,500 acres under crop, but we do not go in much for farming. We have a lot of land cleared, but it is a job doing anything with it.

7449. By Mr CLARKSON: What are the terms on which you share farm?—One-quarter share is the usual thing. We find the land and they find everything else.

7450. Does that work out satisfactorily?—Yes.

7451. Do your tenets make a do of it on those terms?—they seem fairly well satisfied. it has only been gone in for during the last three or four years. In 1914 we had a drought and in the next year there was rust.

7452. From your experience what would you say the average yield of the district in normal years would be?—I think about 13 or 14 bushels, but during 1914, 15, and 16, owing to drought and red rust the farmer has been right up against it.

7453. What do you consider to be the cost of putting in and taking off the crop in this district, allowing for depreciation of plant?—That is a question I could not answer straight off. If I knew I was going to give evidence to-day I would have worked out the figures.

7454. Can you give any idea of how many bushels the farmer would want at 10s. a bag in order to hold his own?—With a 12 bushel average I should think he would hold his own. I am speaking, of course, without having worked it out.

7455. What do you think of fallow?—There is no question about fallowing.

7456. How many bushels should it improve a crop?—it makes a considerable difference. I should say if you get a 10 bushel crop by ploughing and put it in you would easily get 14 or 15 by fallowing it properly. That is, fallow it early in July and August and work the land up, say, twice during the winter and once during the summer with a spring-tooth cultivator and you should easily get six bushels more.

7457. By Mr VENN: What is the rainfall here?—In this district it would be about 16 inches. We easily get about four or five inches during summer. If we could get 10 inches from the time we put it in until we take it off, we would be certain of getting a fine crop. There are rabbits in the district, but I do not think they are increasing. I have not seen too many live ones. and I travel as much as anybody, but you will see tracks in many places. Mount Scratch is about 15 miles from here. I might say that if we had not been in a position to shift our stock to the Murchison there is nothing that would have saved our stock in 1911.

7458. By Mr CLARKSON: I should have thought in the bad season here stock would get poor but they could be saved?—The trouble is that the scrub is dry and sheep get rickets. The sandplain is all right to change them from clayey land for three or four months after it has been freshly burnt, but after it has been burnt there is a poison, a rock poison and two or three other different kinds of poison. Although we have a big area it is difficult to carry much stock on it. Last year we shore 6,000 sheep and this year 12,000. I should say that the land would not carry more than about 8,000 sheep.

(the witness retired.)

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The Commission adjourned.