Part 8

Page 596
image 61 of 100

This transcription is complete
                                                 THURSDAY, 17TH MAY, 1917. 
                                                      ( At Gnowangerup.)
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                                                                 Present:
                                           F. E Venn, Esq. ( in the Chair ).
                                                  H. H. Paynter, Esq. 
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                                             MONTAGUE ROWLAND HOUSE, Gnowangerup, interviewed : 

9267. To Mr. PAYNTER: I have been farming ten years in this district and have 1,250 acres. My land is mixed. It was taken up as all first class, and in my opinion the classification is satisfactory. There was, however, a lot of poison growing on it. I bought the land instead of taking up land myself. The rent is 10s. per acre. It is all fenced and subdivided into nine paddocks. I have 900 acres cleared, and my water supply is from seven dams and two or three soaks. The average depth of the dams is eight feet. I am a married man with two children. They are not of school going age. The nearest doctor is 35 miles away at Katanning. I have a five-roomed house of brick and iron, and wood and iron stables and machinery shed. I have a full set of farming implements, about £300 worth, nine working horses, 700 sheep, six pigs, seven cows. I deal with the National Bank, and find them very liberal. I value my property as it stands at £5 per acre.

I am cropping 400 acres this year, 370 of which was fallow. I think fallow absolutely essential after the first year or so. We have about seven months dry weather, and must conserve the moisture. I plough four to five inches. There is no great depth of soil in this district. Consequently there are times in the year when you could cultivate fallow and do it no good. With regard to the use of superphosphate some of the country is well supplied with lime, and the use of superphosphate is not so necessary. Some years I use it and some years I do not. A light dressing of super certainly seems to give good results. By putting in a lot of stable manure you can use a lot of super.

I use 30lbs. of superphosphate and half a bushel of seed, which I pickle with formalin. I find formalin satisfactory. I sow early fallow with Turvey and Holding's Hard wheat. For sowing late we sow quicker growing varieties and thicker. One year we had 22 bushels. This was seven years ago. The highest yield (not average) was 33 bushels. Some years we have had as low as nine bushels. The last five years should, I should think, average about 12 bushels. We do not believe in wheat growing alone; it is not good farming. Sheep make this land, and we get a good return from them.

9268. To Mr. VENN : I am satisfied with my prospects here. Sheep are the things which pay. Last year we were carrying a sheep to the acre, that is, cutting out the fallow. We had 870 sheep.

9269. I consider a man should not have more than 1,200 acres, and this should be in one block, unless he has sandplain adjoining his good land. Certain of the sandplain is good grazing country in the summer. With regard to our land laws, I consider that poison lands should be 1s. per acre. I do not consider any land here worth more than 10s. C.P. The cost of clearing variers from 18s. to 30s. per acre. I consider a man working with the assistance of a boy, with fallow, could do 400 acres per annum. I should like also to mention the matter of freights. On wool it is £5 per ton to Perth. The Government should not look upon this as a rich man's product, and the freight should certainly be lower. One year it cost us £20 for freight on our wool to Perth. It would have been cheaper to rail it to Albany, ship it to Fremantle, and tranship there.

                                                                         ( The witness retired. )
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ARTHUR HUGH ALLARDYCE, Farmer, Gnowangerup, sworn and examined:

9270. To Mr. PAYNTER: I have been 13 years farming in this district. I have 3,850 acres. They are two separate places ; 2,350 acres is first class land, and the balance second and third. The price ranges from 10s. to 15s. All is fenced and subdivided, with the exception of 400 acres, into 16 or 17 paddocks. My water supply is from six dams. Five are from 1,000 to 1,200 yards, and the sixth is 1,450 yards capacity. The depth varies from 8ft. to 10ft. 6ins. This constitutes a permanent supply. The catchment is good. I am married man with two children, who are not of school-going age. The nearest doctor is at Katanning, 35 miles away.

I have a brick house and an iron stable and machinery shed; a full set of implements, 20 working horses; and carry from 300 to 1,000 sheep. At present I have 630. I also have eight or ten head of cattle and a number of young horses. I bank with the Bank of Australasia, and find them satisfactory . I value my land, with improvements, at normal times, from £4 to £5 per acre. I am putting in 1,140 acres this year, partly on shares. Two hundred and sixty acres of this is fallow. I believe in fallow. I plough from three to four inches, and for fallow somewhat deeper. I do not use superphosphate. My average yield for the first six years, with a good rainfall, was from 16 to 17 bushels. I have had from 26 to 30 bushels, and one year I had 19 average. This was six years ago, namely 1911-12. I get the best results from Federation. I find there is nothing to equal it. I favour a moderate-sized plant; I find from experience that big implements are not as economical