three bags which is about the average. Owing to the rabbits this year it is being reduced. I have a four furrow disc plough which takes five horses and does four acres a day; a 10ft. cultivator which does 12 acres a day; a 15-disc drill which does 12 acres; and a binder which cuts eight acres a day. I have a 6ft. state harvester which does seven acres a day. I plough about 4 inches but most of the scrub 6 inches deep. I consider that the tariff bears heavily upon the farmer, and the bulk handling would be a considerable saving. This could be done with the ordinary wagon and tanks. I would construct a place with an iron frame in which to hold the grain on the farm. I have no disease in my crops, but I pickle my wheat. I do not grade it. Vegetables do well here. I have some splendid vines and fruit trees, particularly peaches. Pigs are profitable. I have been hand-feeding them up to the present although they are running in on acre yards. I have been paying £2 a week for labour, but only for four months altogether in three years. I work 14 hours a day myself. A man should have at least 1,000 acres in this district and one man with 600 acres cleared, of which 300 is fallowed, ought to be able to carry on well. Co-operation would be a good thing but there has been nothing done yet in this direction in this locality. I consider the price of Government land is excessive. I have had considerable experience in the Eastern States and the best of Western Australian land does not compare with the Wimmera. Ten shillings should be the maximum for first class land. Over there you could make a good living on 350 acres with wheat and sheep. I would prefer that to any quantity of land here. Indeed, many people in that country who are farming on 350 acres are able to run their own motor cars. I think a man could start off on 300 acres, 200 in crop and 100 in fallow.

8014. By Mr PAYNTER: That would not be enough to pay for machinery and the land? - The land is right enough and I am confident that I could succeed here, and that I would be able to get a good water supply.

8015. What is the first essential here? - Cleared land. I am 4½ miles from the Government dam.

8016. Is not water the first essential? - It is good to have it on your block but the land should be cleared first.

(The witness retired.)

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DONALD McLEAN, Farmer, Wadderin, via Bruce Rock, sworn and examined:

8017. By the CHAIRMAN: How many acres have you got? - nine hundred and ninety-three, of which 600 are cleared. I also have sufficient implements and eight working horses. When I came here I had £300 and I owe the Agricultural Bank £450. I do not know what I owe the Industries Assistance Board. My land is 25 miles from a railway and I find that it is impossible to make a success of farming there. A railway is necessary if we are to remain. I have about 300 acres of crop which will go about seven bushels. Last year I got a set back as I had to wait for my seed until August.

(The witness retired.)

JOHN PATRICK BUTLER, Hillgrove Farm, Wadderin, sworn and examined:

8018. By the CHAIRMAN: How long have you been in this district? - I have been here for two years, but have been clearing and working on farms for the last six years. I hold 2,000 acres, the price of which ranges from 4s. 6d. to 15s., and I am 25 miles from the railway; 900 acres of my land is first class, the balance second and third class. I have no fencing done, but have 220 acres cleared. I have no water supply. I live in a camp and have neither machinery, nor horses, neither had I any capital when I came here. I work out in order to clear my land. I owe £17 for rent and £130 to the Agricultural Bank but owe nothing to the Industries Assistance Board, and I have no other debts. I have 20 acres of crop.

8019. By Mr PAYNTER: What induced you to take up land here? - On account of the railway coming, and then again there are others who have made good before me without any capital and I am a single man. My ambition is to get my old people here as soon as the line arrives.

(The witness retired.)

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ANDREW STEWART (Stewarts & Sons), Wadderin, sworn and examined:

8020. By the CHAIRMAN: How long have you been here? - Four and a-half years. Three of us hold 1,997 acres, the price of which is 11s.; 900 acres are first class and the balance third class; the land is 22 miles from a railway. If the line goes to Emu Hill we shall be seven miles away. There are 60 acres fenced and 400 acres cleared. I have had no previous experience of farming. I was road clearing. I have a small dam, but it is dry. I excavated 500 cubic yards to a depth of five feet six inches. I could get down 12 feet if I had a heavier plough. I am a single man and have a camp, stables and machinery shed, a set of implements, seven working horses, 12 pigs. When we started I think we had £100 amongst us and the Agricultural Bank loan was £550. We owe the Industries Assistance Board about £650, so that in all we owe £1,200 and have 400 acres cleared plus a plant. On heavy forest land I sow 45lbs. of seed and on the light land a bushel, together with 45lbs. to 80lbs. of super. Last year the crop went nine bushels. I have not worked out the cost of putting in and taking a crop. I use a 6-disc plough and six horses and do six acres a day, a seven-foot disc cultivator, which does 10 to12 acres, and a 13 disc drill that does 13 acres a binder that does nine acres a day. I have a six-foot Shearer harvester, which does seven acres a day. The next wheat we have tried is Federation and also Correll's No.5. Bulk handling would be an advantage to farmers, but I must admit that I have not studied the question. I pickle, but do not grade my wheat. In this district nothing under 1,000 acres would be any good to any man on which to make a decent living. The maximum area of land that a man would be able to handle annually single-handed would be about 250 acres. No doubt that co-operation between farmers would be a big advantage. I do not think there is any land out here that is worth more than 10s. an acre. We can not expect to obtain a yield above 10 bushels and that would only pay mere working expenses. Still, that average should be improved upon with better cultivation.