improved land in this district is about one sheep to two acres in the Eastern portion, but on the western side it is poison country and no good at all. I have not done any dairying in this district except for home use. I do not think dairying could be carried no successfully here under present labour conditions. The country is good enough for four or five months in the year. I do not think dairying could be carried out here all the year round. Fodder could be grown and preserved, but I do not know whether the system would be profitable. I have been through out back centres, such as Kondinin and Bruce Rock. It is good country and the men thee seem to be of the right stamp. Most of the country round about is infested with salt. I had a nice plot of Lucerne at Yangedine, but after a few years the salt came up and killed it out. In the Meadows here I had a nice patch of Lucerne, but it all died out as the result of salt. In one the field which has been cleared for 40 years a patch of salt broke out about two years ago. Generally speaking I do not think this district is a favourable locality for the establishment of a butter factory. I do not know much about butter making. In the early days my father used to keep 70 or 80 cows. In those days we made 20 or 30 pounds of butter every week and sold the remainder of the milk.

9643. To Mr. CLARKSON: There are patches around which would grow maize or millet to tide the cattle over the summer. Labour would be the most serious difficulty.

9644. To Mr. PAYNTER: I would recommend strong wool merino sheep for the small farm in the eastern districts. The Lincoln cross is most suitable in a wet district, with the Romney Marsh for a still wetter climate. I do not think any farmer can succeed on any land unless he has sheep. Wheat growing by itself cannot be made profitable. When I stated just now that at the guaranteed price wheat can be grown I had in mind the running of sheep in conjunction with the wheat. We lamb our ewes on our green crops every year.

9645. By Mr. CLARKSON: Do you think that larger machinery is of the directions in which the farmer can reduce his cost? — There is much to be considered. If well fed, four horses can pull a four-farrow plough on light land. By feeding our horses properly we can pull the bigger machinery. Horse flesh is nothing in comparison with labour .By using the bigger machine we reduce our cost materially.

9646. Would you consider that the small man on the Industries Assistance Board can reduce his cost by using larger machinery? —Yes, provided he has the horse flesh to pull it , but the horses must be properly fed. Plenty of farmers do not attend to this. In many cases much money is wasted in buying unsuitable machinery or costly untried machinery.

9647 What can the Government legitimately do to better the industry? —They could standardise farming machinery with excellent results. Again, the farmer might be protected against the persuasiveness of the machinery agent, and thus thousands of pounds might be saved to the industry. I have seen three or four harvesters of different makes on a place where one machine would have been ample.

9648. To Mr. PAYNTER: I think the wheat pool should be continued, especially if the costs can be brought down, as they should be. I am a miller as well as a farmer, notwithstanding which I say the pool is of considerable advantage to the farmer. Four or five agent should be sufficient instead of 100 or more. The pool should be controlled by a Board free from political influence. At present we are paying too much for the administration of the pool. The year after Southern Cross was discovered I put in 55 acres of crops at Yorkrakine. I ploughed and sowed the land. I had to finish cropping by the 20th June. I had no super. I got 16 cwt. of hay to the acre off it. I carted it to Southern Cross and got £22 10s. a ton average for the chaff. When the railway was built I could not compete against our own farmers down here so I gave it up, but I had previously grown three good crops up there without super.

(The witness retired.) _______________

JOHN SERMON, Farmer, York, sworn and examined:

9649. To Mr. CLACRKSON: I have been farming here 20 years. I am working 2,500 acres. It is all first class arable land. We are trouble with dandelion and other weeds. I believe in fallowing. The best way to deal with weeds is to fallow and cultivate afterwards. I cultivate the fallow twice if I can. I have had just as good result from fresh land as from fallow, but on the average fallow is the best of all. Generally, we cut the fallow crops for hay. I think the small farmer could reduce costs by using larger machinery where the ground is not too hilly. The cot of putting in and taking off depends on the distance from the railway and the class of the land. Exclusive of carting, depreciation and interest, it cots me generally about 32s. Wheat growing by itself cannot be profitable at present prices. I think bulk handling would reduce costs. I think the tariff on machinery is too high in view of the tax on the land. Farmers' implements should come free of duty.

9650. To Mr. PAYNTER: My average yield over the last 10 years has been 14½ bushels with 35cwt. of hay. I do not think the present land laws calculated to induce people to take up land. The taxation (State, Federal, and local authority) is too heavy altogether.

9651. To Mr. VENN: Very little dairying is done in the district. I believe it could be carried on successfully here. All last summer I made butter from two cows. If a butter factory were established in this district or at Northam, it would encourage people to go in for dairying. Some of our people now send cream to Perth. The sheep carrying capacity of improved land here is about one sheep to two acres.

9652. To Mr. CLARKSON: I cannot say how many cows there are in the district. Perhaps there are 500 within a radius of 20 miles of York. I have never attempted to grow any summer fodder. I do not think it would be success without irrigation. In my opinion, oats are more profitable than peas for sheep.

9653. To Mr. VENN: the smaller farmer here caters a good deal for the lamb trade. I generally use merino rams on crossbred or Lincoln ewes .I have been trying the Dorset-Horn, which I think will be better.