FRIDAY, 9th FEBRUARY, 1917.

(At Kulin.)

Present:

J.O. Giles, Esq., Chairman. H.H. PAYNTER., F.E. VENN, Esq.

JOHN ISAAC JONES, Farmer, Kulin, sworn and examined:

8224. By the CHAIRMAN: How long have you been in the district?- Six years. I have been farming all my life, principally in the Ballarat district. I hold 1,000 acres of land, 750 first class, the balance is good second class land, and the price 22s. an acre. I have not been informed of any reclassification or reduction. I have 2½ miles cartage from the railway. There are 1½ miles of fencing, and 350 acres cleared. I have two dams, each of 800 cubic yards, one of which is 9ft. and the other 7½ft in depth, and no doubt I could go deeper. I am a single man and live in a camp. I have a three stalled stable, although horses do just as well in a yard as they are rugged in winter. I have a set of farming implements, seven working horses, and I had £550 capital when I came here. I borrowed £300 from the Agricultural Bank and owe about £300 to the Industries Assistance Board and other creditors. I have 200 acres of crop averaging 10 bushels. The nearest doctor is at Wickepin.

8225. Have the experts of the Agricultural Department ever rendered you any advice or assistance during your career on the land?- No, and they have not paid us any visits.

8226. By Mr PAYNTER: How many acres were fallowed?- None at all. I have not a sufficient area cleared for fallow. Any early variety of seed will do in this district, Bunyip, Federation, Correll's and Steinwedel do very well. I sow a bushel to the acre and 70lbs. of super. Some of my crop went 10 bags with three tons of super. to the acre, but that was last year. The tariff should be removed from all farming implements. We are paying high wages, far more than we earn ourselves. I do not think that the country is yet prepared for the inauguration of bulk handling. I pickle. but do not grade my seed. Those who have had fruit trees in this district have had them killed out with the white ants. There were three brothers of us; one was killed at the Front, another is on the road to the Front, and I am left on my own, and so far I have not employed any labour.

One thousand acres is little enough for any man, but 600 acres should be cleared before he can go in for a proper system of farming. One man could do 300 acres with proper equipment and a six horse team. So far as co-operation is concerned, my experience is that farmers must be educated up to it. The price of land here is far too high; it should not exceed 10s. on account of the distance to the seaboard, while rents should be deferred for six years until the settler gets on his feet. It is the drought that has put us in our present position here. The Government is altogether wrong in insisting upon their system of fallowing. They do not specify what class of land has to be fallowed. Green mallee land, for instance, should not be fallowed. It should be rolled down and burned. I sow 1¼ bushels to the acre and70 lbs. of super., preferably Federation. If we fallowed it high suckers would come up. I have some mallee which I have to fallow, and already there are suckers on it. By fallowing it you take the nourishment out of it. You cannot grow crops and grow suckers at the same time.

8227. You should write to the authorities and say that you are not prepared to do it, and give your reasons. No doubt the Minister will allow discrection to a good man?- It took us four tries before we were successful in securing the land here, and we saw men without any experience whatever going before the Board and securing land before us, and yet the Government has to educate them up to farming. Clearing costs 25s. an acre. but the Bank only allows 20s. for it. The rainfall is quite satisfactory. We had between 14 and 15 inches last year. So far we have not enough land cleared to go in for mixed farming properly.

8228. By Mr VENN: Are the rabbits numerous?- Yes, and they are getting more so every day.

8229. To the CHAIRMAN: The district is a good one, and I have every confidence in it. Moreover, I can make good if the Board will stick to me.

(The witness retired.)

SAMUEL NICHOLAS AYOUB, Farmer, Dandagin, sworn and examined:

8230. By the CHAIRMAN: How long have you been settled here?- Five years. I was a gardener and miner formerly in New South Wales. I took 1,470 acres of land; 1,000 acres are first class. The price of 491 acres was 15s. and of 979 10s. I am 26 miles from the railway. I have 250 acres fenced with one barbed wire, 370 acres cleared. I have one dam 1,500 cubic yards capacity 10 feet deep. There is very little water in it at present. I am married man with four children, three of school age, but there is no school within reach. We live in a two-roomed iron house. There are no stables, and I have a machinery shed and set of implements, six working horses and two light horses, five foals, and two cows. I had £300 capital when I started, and borrowed £370 from the Agricultural Bank. I am also in debt to the Industries Assistance Board, though I do not know the amount. Last year 270 acres yielded 110 bags. I have sufficient implements for my work. My own stock and those of a neighbour eat my crop out, the reason being that I had only one wire in my fence. There are only two other settlers out my way. On