Part 7

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This transcription is complete
                                         THURSDAY, 1st  FEBRUARY, 1917. 
                                                     ( At Bruce Rock.)
                                                           --------------
                                                           Present :
                                     J. O. GILES, ESQ. ( CHAIRMAN ),
                                      H. H. Paynter, esq,.        F. E. Venn, ESQ.
                                                               -------------

ERNEST SAMUEL GILLARD, FARMER. and Secretary of the Roads Board, Bruce Rock, sworn and

                                                               examined :

7941. By the CHAIRMAN : How long have you been in the district ? - Six years. I have had no previous experience. Before coming here I was a mine manager. I hold 898 acres, of which 740 acres is first class. The balance is second and third class country and Wodgil. The Wodgil land will not grow wheat at all. The price was formerly 24s., now reduced to 14s. 6d. It adjoins Yalbarrin Siding. It is all ring-fenced with three wires ; 370 acres are cleared. My water supply is a 1,000 yard dam 9 feet deep. At that depth I struck hard rock. It has no covering and cost 1s. 6d. a yard. It is nearly dry now. I do not consider, however, that 1,000 yards is sufficient. For ordinary stock a man wants at least a 2,000 yards dam and one of greater depth. I am a married man with two little girls who are too young for school, which is four miles distant. The nearest doctor is at Kellerberrin. I have a four - roomed hessian and iron house. I have stabling and a shed for machinery, a full set of implements, five working horses, two cows. When I came here I had £250 capital ; the Agricultural Bank has advanced me £560. I am not on the I. A. B. although I owe them £130 for rent. My outside liabilities are about £120, so that I owe about £800 in all with 370 acres cleared and stock and plant given in. I have not seen anything of the experts of the agricultural Bank or obtained any advice on farming matters. Mr. Sutton lectured on wheat growing, but gave no advice or information as to the clearing. This year I have 250 acres of crop.

7942. By Mr. PAYNTER : How much is fallow ? - Only 70 acres. On forest land I use 50lbs. Of super. and 45 lbs. of seed. My highest yield was 24 bushels, but this year my crop has only gone 6 bushels. It would cost four bags at least to put in and take off a crop, that is if a man had 250 acres in. The crop this year did not recover from the September dry spell and when the rain came it was patchy. I sowed Purple Straw and Gluyas. We had no rain for about eight weeks. I have a six - disc Shearer plough, and five horses plough about six acres a day. A 16-tyne cultivator does about 12 acres; a 15-disc drill does about 12 acres. I have a 5ft. harvester with which I average about seven acres. I plough about four inches; between ploughing and seeding I cultivate once. The use of larger implements involves more power. I believe in lighter implements and making the pace faster. The tariff is our heaviest burden. I think that bulk handling should effect a great saving in costs. The crop could be taken from the farm to the station in bags and there could be vehicles to take it in bulk. I pickle but do not grade my wheat ; I winnow it. My fruit trees all died and I have given up pigs. I employ labour during harvest time and the wages are £2 a week and keep, but on the whole the labour is not satisfactory. To make a decent living a man should have at least 1,000 acres and single - handed he ought to do 250 acres properly. Co - operation is a good thing and we are trying to start a local company for supplies only. I do not consider the conditions of settlement in the dry areas at all easy. A settler should have the land free for a number of years until it has become productive and when it has reached that stage it should be priced on its productive capacity.

7943. By Mr. VENN: Is not your property for sheep ? - Yes, and it would be far better to provide larger areas and let the settler start with sheep. We started at the wrong end. We got the machinery and horses before we were ready. We should have ring-barked and fenced first. That was our greatest blunder. If the Government supplied sheep on extended terms, it would be an excellent thing. Wheat growing alone will not pay because there is so much waste and no stock to eat what is going to waste. Cows milk well, especially in winter, and do for nine months in the year with a little stubble. I consider that dairying would pay if stuff were grown for them and silos used. If I had the capital, I would give it a trial.

7944. To the CHAIRMAN : Last year I spent £10 in wages. I am favourably impressed with the future of the district if we fallow well and work the land on a three - years system with more stock and less wheat.

7945. By Mr. PAYNTER : Which do you prefer, you own calling, a miner, or farming ? - Farming. I have no desire to go back to mining. This is a free and comparatively easy life and is more healthy. My wife likes it too, although she was brought up in the city always. I think in the dry areas I would try and get more land and go in for more sheep. I cropped 250 acres. Last year I put in 250 alone and besides that I was out working, as I did not want to go on the industries Assistance Board and I paid my way except the rent and interest. I have not as much fallow as I should like. I have been at least