DOUGLAS YOUNG, Manager Bank of Australasia, Wickepin, examined:

8372. By the CHAIRMAN: How far do your operations extend?-- We go as far as Kondinin. We have 20 or 30 accounts: no financed accounts out there. We are waiting to see how the district opens up. Most of the financed accounts are within a radius of 20 miles, and most of them are old settlers of from eight to nine years standing and upwards. Those who have sheep do the best. Many men who have not stock have water and fencing, but times are so bad that they cannot obtain any sheep.

8373. By Mr. VENN: Are there many of them?-- A fair number. When the young Box comes up sheep keep it down. There are very few losses amongst them. The carrying capacity of the sandplain has not yet been thoroughly proved. With manure and cultivation our good land should run two sheep to three acres.

8374. By the CHAIRMAN: It is necessary keep on cultivation the land?-- Yes. The banks require good tillage. I try to get the farmers to put in what they can cope with themselves as labour is scare.They cannot do more than pay their way at the present time.

8375. At what yield and price do the settlers hold their own?-- That depends on the area. A man with 1,000 acres with an average return of 300 acres at 11 bushel would pay all expenses, that is with the price about 3s. 6d.

8376. You regard wheat growing as essential?-- Yes in conjunction with stock. Wheat growing keeps the ground clean and sheep improve the quality of the ground, but wheat alone takes a man all his time to make both ends meet. Settlers were not thrifty four or five years ago, but now they find they must be.

8377. By Mr. VENN: What are the prospects of the district for dairying?-- Some of the settlers have quite a number of cows and are sending cream to the Bunbury factory. One of my customers estimates that he will be getting a return of £20 from his cream alone per week. He has to feed his cows They are investing in cows to a large extent. I know of two men who are sending cream away. Most of them are gradually making their own butter instead of buying it at the store. The farmers should have sheds for their machinery instead of leaving it out in the paddocks.

8378. By the CHAIRMAN: What is the banks valuation of the best freehold properties?-- Taking a radius of five miles, I think £2 15s. to £3 10s. per acre. Its actual cost was more than that to clear the land alone. Many of them will be able to wipe out all their liabilities this year.

8379. To Mr. PAYNTER: It is a disadvantage to the farmer to have their advances dolled out to them. They should get it in one lump.

(The witness retired.) _________________

SAMUEL RICHARD FISHER, "Glen View," Wickepin, Farmer, sworn and examined:

8380. By the CHAIRMAN: When did you first come into this district?-- In 1901. All my life I have been dairy farming and market gardening in Victoria. I hold 1,600 acres and all except 400 acres is first class and the balance good land. The price is 10s. an acre. I have three to five miles of cartage. The property is all fenced and 800 acres are cleared. I have four dams, one with 1,000 and the balance 400 to 500 yards capacity, and tanks for home purposes. They have never been dry yet. They are six to nine feet deep. I have three daughters and one son. One daughter is married. The school is four miles distant and the nearest doctor is at Narrogin. The Agricultural Department has been of very great assistance to us. We have had the director up our way and other gentlemen from the department, and their advice has been beneficial. I have a weatherboard house, bat stables, bush sheds, and iron roofs, a set of implements, 16 working horses, 10 cattle, 12 pigs. I have 300 acres under crop going 13 bushels but it was put in late. For the first two years I got £25 and since then I have had £500 from the Agricultural Bank. My total liabilities are about £750.

8381. By Mr. PAYNTER: How much of your land was fallow?-- None at all. In this country if you have land and fallow it and attend to it, it is not good but under the conditions it is done, I do not attach any importance to it. I fallowed 200 acres last August. When the hay comes in if the fallow could be worked and left we would get good results, but the financial conditions, the shortage of water and the insufficient prices are against fallowing. Under the best conditions fallow would improve the crop one-third. Unworked fallow is useless as far as production is concerned. I plough about four inches, I have some land which has 10 feet of soil and other land only nine inches, nevertheless I think nine inches is plenty for wheat. A man should always grow an early, a medium and a late wheat. Federation is one of the best late varieties, but I have had fair results from Baroota Wonder for hay, and of the early varieties I prefer Bunyip. We sow Federation first. I consider it a late wheat. The farmer should grow the proper wheats at the correct time. I usually sow over a bushel. I do not grade it but I always pickle it. I never had any disease in Western Australia except a little "take all." About 90lbs of super to the acre should be sown. I have a six and a three-furrow plough, the six furrow takes eight horses and does eight acres. My 6ft. cultivator does nine acres and the 15-disc drill 15 acres a day. I use harrows and they should be more used out here than they are. I use a horse to leaf. I have a 6ft. McKay harvester which does 10 acres a day. Larger teams and implements are conductive to economical working. It costs 30s. to put in and take off a crop. The tariff should be knocked off and farming implements should could in free. Cheaper implements would mean that there would be more land under crop. Clearing costs from 25s. to 30s. an acre. I believe that bulk handling would be a good thing. From the farm to the station tank wagons could be used or if there was an elevator there one could use one's own bags. Stacking wheat is an enormous expense. Fodder crops do no good here, but fruit trees if looked after do well. Vegetables