five working horses, a few pigs. I had £650 capital when I came here and borrowed £1,300 from the Agricultural Bank since and I also owe for bags and super, outside about £300. I have 460 acres of crop averaging 12 bushels. I cut some of it for hay.

8087. By Mr. PAYNTER: Did you have any fallow?-- Yes, 100 acres but on account of the dry weather we were short of feed and I could not fallow more. I plough four inches deep. Federation has served me well and I got two tons of hay to the acre of Bunyip. I sow not more than a bushel to the acre and 56lbs. of super. My best crop had 30lbs. of super only. My highest average yield was last year when I got 16 bushels. I had 20 bushels off 20 or 30 acres four years ago. I use a 3-furrow plough with four horses and do three acres a day. I have a 17-cultivator which does 14 acres and 5ft. Union harvester which does eight acres. Bulk handling would be a great saving to all farmers. Bags for instance cost me £75 this year. The wheat could be taken in bags on the wagon to the railway and returned empty. I had a little rust last year. I pickle and put my seed through the winnower. I have a few lucerne plants growing now and vegetables do well with me all the year round. 2,000 acres is not too much land to hold for a man with a family, but he should undoubtedly have 600 acres cleared. I do not think that any man can handle more than 250 acres by himself properly. A new settler has far too much to pay at the first go off. I have frequently had to burn off as much feed as would feed 300 or 400 sheep. I believe the rabbits are coming to stay. I could carry 200 sheep easily all the year round but I would have to yard them. Now that there are inspectors there is a possibility of the settlers obtaining sheep. None of us are going to get enough out of the wheat to pay our expenses. I now have two sons working and we must have sheep or go to the war. (The witness retired.) _________________

FREDERICK SYDNEY SQUIRES, Farmer, Kurren Kutten, sworn and examined:

8088. by the CHAIRMAN: How long have you been in this district?-- I came here in 1910 and had no previous farming experience. I was engineering and mining on the goldfields. I hold 2,000 acres of land, salmon gum, gimlet, and mallee, but it is both too heavy and too rich. It cost 10s. an acre and is 11 miles from the railway. 1,000 acres have been fenced and 670 acres cleared. I have no water supply at present as my dams are dry. At 13 feet you reach salt water. I am a widower with two girls and a boy past school age, and they have had no schooling. My house is iron and hessian. I have a bush stable but no machinery shed. I have a full set of implements, 12 working horses, a cow and about 30 pigs. I had £1,600 capital when I came here and borrowed £950 from the Agricultural Bank and I have about £500 worth of other liabilities. there is a private mortgage outside that of £600. I have 460 acres under crop which will average less than three bushels.

8089. By Mr. PAYNTER: How much of your land was fallowed?-- I have 180 acres, but there is very little difference apparent. I have never ploughed less than five inches which is too deep, I find. I use Gluyas and Federation. I followed Professor Paterson's advice and never sowed more than 52lbs. of seed to the acre and 45lbs. of super. Last year I cultivated 50 acres four times and harrowed it before seeding and it yielded the poorest crop of all. I have an 8-furrow disc plough and a 4-furrow mouldboard using six and eight horses respectively. I have a 17-cultivator which does 15 acres, a 13-drill that does 14 acres. I have 3-leaves harrows which do up to 30 acres on clean land. The binder cuts 10 acres a day. I have a 7ft. Sunshine harvester which does up to 16 acres but averages about 11. Larger plant would be all right on my particular land but not on all holdings. I have had no disease in my crops. My highest yield was last year when I obtained 2,087 bags from 340 acres. I pickle my wheat. On account of the soil being inclined to be salty I have not tried fruit trees but pigs I find profitable. I do not think that any man should have less than 1,000 acres in this district; 500 acres of this should be cleared before he makes a start, but single-handed he should be able to do between 300 and 400 acres a year. Co-operation would be good if all hands would stick together. I have not been harassed on account of my rent in any way. We have had every assistance possible from the Government and I am quite satisfied that they are doing the best they can for us.

8090. By Mr. VENN: Are rabbits plentiful in your district?-- They are very bad indeed and although they are somewhat destructive we have nevertheless found them convenient at times for meat. The children snare them. I am thinking of getting sheep, but unless I obtain assistance to keep the wild dogs down it would be useless to go in for them. My neighbour who has sheep has to yard them always, and that is just at the time they should be feeding. They have to be shepherded during the day and yarded at night. I have good grass country.

8091. by the CHAIRMAN: Do you believe in ploughing deeply?-- I had the strength and I rooted the ground up. It was Mr. Despiessis who said some time ago that new land only required scratching to obtain a crop and all those who have followed his advice have got the best results. Where the morrel is packed the crop will grow. What I require most is stock. I am inclined sometimes to think that my inexperience in ploughing deep has been my ruin and that I should have stuck to Mr. Despeissis's advice. None of the Government experts have been out here during my time and so far as I am concerned the department might not exist, and Mr. Sutton does not seem to have done what was required of him by the farmers. The department ought to be in close touch with the settlers and they ought to know that water ought to be netted in to cope successfully with rabbits.

The Commission adjourned. (The witness retired.) _________________