years, excepting the drought year, was seven bushels. My highest yield in any one year was 20 bushels. This was in 1909. For three years I had an average of 18 bushels, but this was not on the land that I am now farming. I consider the land laws are good, and calculated to encourage people to select holdings. A man, in my opinion, should not have more than 1,500 acres unless he can get country free of poison for sheep grazing. Most men here have too much land, and cannot get the capital to work it.

9275. To Mr. VENN: I consider the sheep-carrying capacity of my land at a sheep to the acre. Perhaps this is too much, but so far I have only on one occasion had to artificially feed my sheep, when I gave them ten bags of oats. I speak, of course, of cultivated land. This country is very suitable for mixed farming. I do not know of any farmer growing wheat alone. Those that are without sheep are on the I.A.B. and some have been closed down, but I do not know of any sheep man on whom the bank has foreclosed. There is some dairying down in the district; one man runs ten cows, and I know this man made £200 last year. My mother makes about £200 per annum out of dairying and poultry. I consider this a good dairying district, and a butter factory would encourage people to go in for it to a greater extent. A good cow will average 9lbs of butter per week all the year round. Of course you would have to feed them. Mine gets a little chaff in the early winter and autumn months.

9276. To Mr. PAYNTER: I am quite satisfied with my prospects in the district. I think the Agricultural Bank, when putting new settlers on the land, should not give them advances before seeing that they have a 40 or 50 acre paddock in which to keep cows. Cows and pigs will always show a profit and reduce the store bill.

9277. To Mr. VENN: The average cost of clearing my lands was 25s.; some of it cost me 50s., namely, the mort country. In the matter of fertilisers, people tell us that the varieties used are not suitable to this district. I think the country is lacking in lime. In the past two years I have doubled my yield without fertiliser. This was with broadcast sowing. I think the Government should determine what class of fertiliser is required for the district.

9278. To Mr. PAYNTER: The Agricultural Department has not rendered us any assistance so far. I consider that the Government should subsidise farmers where the results are not good, and enable them to undertake experimental work. They would then find out the deficiencies of a district with very little cost. This work is particularly necessary at Ongerup, I think. The Government will lose thousands of pounds unless they endeavour to find out what is required and what are the difficulties there. I have no experience of bulk handling, but according to last year's returns, taking into consideration the cost of bags, to handle the crop, the amount of £5,528,000 was expended in the Commonwealth. This amount I should think, would more than install the bulk handling system throughout the Commonwealth. The jute question is going to be a serious one in the future. It might be wise to wait and see the result of bulk handling installations in New South Wales.

(The witness retired.) _________________

JAMES GARNETT, farmer, Glenroy, Gnowangerup, sworn and examined:

9279. To Mr. PAYNTER: I have been 11 years in the district. I have 2,100 acres; 1,000 acres is first class, 500 second, 600 third. I am paying 6s. 8d., 8s., and 10s. Five hundred and twenty acres of my property is freehold. I have 900 acres cleared, all fenced and subdivided into 12 paddocks. I am a mile and a half to three and a half miles from the railway. My water supply is from eight dams and a well. the dams are 300 yards to 1,200 yards. Those under 500 are no good in this country, but the others are permanent. I consider nothing less than 1,000 yards any good, and they should be nine feet deep. I would rather have 2,500 yard dams. The clay soil will go down in some places 20 feet. I am a married man with six children. They attend school with the exception of two. The nearest doctor is at Katanning. I have rather poor house. It has an iron roof with mud walls and a portion jarrah walls, five rooms altogether. I consider the best sort of house can be made with compressed batt bricks and iron roof. It needs very little cement for the bricks, say half an inch. The machines for making the bricks are not expensive. I have galvanised iron and slab stables and a galvanised iron machinery shed; a full working plant, nine working horses and five young ones, and two light horses, 800 sheep, six pigs, and five milking cows. This year I have 400 acres in crop, all fallow. This includes 50 acres of rape for the sheep. I started here with no capital, except that I brought three horses and a wagon from the Eastern States. I went contracting until I had sufficient land cleared; then I let the farm. I have had farm experience since I was 14 years of age in South Australia. In the early stages I was on the Agricultural Bank. I now deal with the Bank of Australasia. I have no reason to complain of their treatment of me. The liability on my property at the present time is about £500, and I value it at about £4,000. I use 75lbs of super and anything from 45lbs to half a bushel of seed. I favour Lotts, Walker's, and Federation. I am well satisfied with these varieties of seed for the district, but better treatment of the seed would give better results. The bulk of farmers do not grade. I grade and pickle my wheat. My average, including the drought year, is 13½ bushels. The best average for any year was 21 bushels; I think 1912-13. The year before last I got nearly 21 bushels. I consider the tariff on farmers' goods far too high. It affects a man just starting very considerably. On the matter of bulk handling, if it would do away with the use of bags it would be a great advantage. I consider a man should have from 800 to 1,000 acres of first class land in this district. The present land laws, where the land is within reasonable distance of the railway, are satisfactory. I consider wheat growing without side lines, such as sheep, pigs, poultry, milking cows, only a waste of time. Wheat growing, coupled with sheep, is the thing; a man cannot go wrong.

9280. By Mr. VENN: In regards to the use of fertilisers: some witnesses tell us that this is not necessary in this district?-- I considered at first that our strong lands in this district did not require fertiliser, but I have altered my opinion. I found that my neighbours, who were using fertiliser, got better results. I tested this by sowing some of my best paddocks with fertiliser. I sowed 75 chains and left