TUESDAY, 18th DECEMBER, 1917.

(At Harvey.)

Present: J. O. Giles, Esq., Chairman. B. L. Clarkson, Esq., H. H. Paynter, Esq., F. E. Venn, Esq.

DAVID LIGHTFOOT BREEN, Inspector of Orchards, sworn and examined:

10337. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been in the Department of Agriculture for 17 years, three of which I have spent in the South-West. I do not hold any land in this district. At the present time the only pests in this district are red and black citrus scale. The district was seriously infested with fruit fly, but that has been eradicated. The Department of Agriculture did that. The place was under quarantine, and no fruit was allowed to be sent to southern parts of the State without inspection. That embargo has now been lifted. That was done May last. The department takes the credit for having got rid of the fruit fly. We prevented fruit going into the quarantine district from fly-infested districts and, in addition, Mr Newman, of the Department had a good deal to do with the eradication of the pest, by the use of the fruit fly bait which has been most successful. He is the originator of the bait. The growers realised the seriousness of the spread of the fly, and they materially helped the department to bring about its extermination. Scale lives on the trees and checks the growth of the trees, and spoils the appearance of the fruit. We get rid of scale by spraying with resin and soda washes and also oil washes. These are very effective in keeping the scale in check. It is difficult to find any in the district now. Then the department has been successful in coping with the insect and fungoid pests. The growers have to keep spraying. They will never eradicate scale, although they will keep it well in check. The grower has to spray every year; that is compulsory.

10338. Are the growers able to get rid of all the fruit they produce here?—Not the second and third grade fruit, at any rate not at a profit. The fact that there is not a sufficient market for this fruit is, I think, mostly due to faulty marketing.

10339. What steps do the growers take to overcome the disabilities which face them?—Up to date there has been practically nothing done; but one man here (Mr Snell) does a large private trade, and handles between 12,000 and 15,000 cases a year. He advertises largely in the country Press that his fruit is to be disposed of at so much per case on rails at Harvey, at different prices, according to the grades of fruit. A branch of the Westralian Farmers, Limited, has now been formed here, and that is going to attend to the distribution of the fruit next season. Very few people here have ever belonged to the Associated Fruit Growers, but they have now taken up the proposal of the Westralian Farmers, Limited, and this body has absorbed the Associated Fruitgrowers. They have their central distributing executive in Perth, which will try and deal by private treaty and work with the co-operative societies in the various parts of the State. Then there will be uniform grading.

10340. By Mr VENN: Has the irrigation scheme in this district been a blessing or otherwise?—I think it has done a lot of good, and as soon as they know what products should be grown here, the irrigation scheme will be of very great assistance. The people do not yet realise the value of water.

10341. Is it true that a number of the orchards have been ruined through too much seepage?—I think it has put back the growth of the trees.

10342. Do you take an interest in potato growing?—Yes. I think that this would prove a profitable industry under irrigation. There have been failures in the past due to excessive watering and seepage troubles, and also in many instances on account of diseased seed. There has been no attempt made to try and find new varieties of seed.

10343. Do you think the heavy clay land at the back of Harvey more suitable for dairying under irrigation than for citrus growing?—Absolutely. It is model country for growing clover and trefoils of all descriptions.

10344. By Mr PAYNTER: Has you Department done anything to find a market when there has been a glut of fruit?—Not to my knowledge.

10345. Is this country suitable for currant growing?—No. It is not suitable for deciduous fruits. The rainfall is too heavy for currants and raisins. My experience here is that very few grapes ever ripen. They look well but they have no sugar, evidently on account of the wet nature of the ground. We have a 47in. rainfall here. I think the sandy