growing crops to feed my stock. My principal source of revenue is from my sheep.

10811. What class of sheep do you favour?—I like the cross-bred. We get on an average 7lbs. wool.

10811a. How much land do you consider a man should have in your district?—A man should have at least 1,000 acres with the class of country I have. It is mostly third class, for which I am paying 5s. and 5s. 6d. I am satisfied with that price, although I cannot afford to pay more for it. There is a fair lot of heart leaf poison on it.

10812. Do you consider your position satisfactory?—Yes, I have had to borrow from the Agricultural Bank, but am clear of them now.

10813. You are satisfied with your future prospects?—Yes.

10814. To Mr. VENN: The Zamia palm is a big drawback to the keeping of cattle. The only way to get rid of it is to stab the palm. They are very thick on my place. The use of kerosene in addition is too expensive.

10815. Do you go in for dairying?—Yes, and I consider that once the palm is got rid of dairying will pay. Lucerne grows well without irrigation. I have had some lucerne in for 17 years.

10816. But you have re-sown it in that time?—No, as a matter of fact it is spreading all the time. It is growing on the ordinary dry land. In places there is a very good depth of soil.

10817. To Mr. Paynter: Are the roads in your locality satisfactory?—Yes, the roads in my district are good.

10818. What do you consider the cost of clearing?—To clear properly, taking timber one foot in diameter out, would cost 25s. per acre.

10819. Have you a school in your locality?—No. I have educate my children at home. There is no school within 16 miles of my place. There are not sufficient children to warrant a school being erected.

10820. By Mr. VENN: Is settlement progressing in your district?—There has been no settlement since the war commenced. There is some good country available, mostly infested with York Road poison, and if the Government made the terms for the occupation of this land satisfactory settlement would go ahead.

10821. To Mr. PAYNTER: I bought my place, and was induced to go out in order to keep away from the small holdings. I have had a hard time, but I am satisfied to go on. The proposed line from Wilgarrup will bring my land within 10 miles of the railway line.

10822. Do you consider the land laws are satisfactory?—I think that it was a mistake on the part of the Government to withdraw the grazing lease terms in this locality. I would take up more land if these leases were reinstated. I should like to see a motor lorry service established on the roads in my district. Settlers should be assisted by the Government in purchasing these vehicles rather than the Government should go to the expense of putting down more lines. In the matter of medical attention, I am 30 miles form the nearest doctor, who is at Bridgetown, and about the same distance from Kojonup.

(The witness is retired.)

FREDERICK ALBERT NIX, Newbicup Farm, via Upper Blackwood, sworn and examined:

10823. I have been 25 years in this district. I have between 4,000 and 5,000 acres, 2,000 acres of which is freehold and the balance conditional purchase. It is 14 miles from the railway line, all fenced, and I have 700 to 800 acres cleared for grazing, of which I can cultivate about 500 acres. I have all necessary plant, a house, and 10 acres of orchard planted with apples, peaches, and nectarines. The apples I find the most profitable. The carrying capacity of my land is about 1,500 sheep. This is the number that I shore last year. I could certainly carry 1,200 all the year round. I do not believe in over-stocking. I go in principally for the merino, but I breed a number of cross-breds for sale. My sheep will average about 8lbs. of wool. The lambing the year before last was very low, and this year is about 80 per cent. There are no pests now, although dogs and hawks were bad.

10824. What experience had you before you came to this district?—I started farming at Gingin. We grew wheat there. There was a mill on the estate, and I sold only flour. When the railway was put through to Gingin, I came down to this district. I started here with about £3,000. I consider that the future of this district is wrapped up in fruit and sheep. I have lost hundreds of pounds in breeding cattle. I sent plants to the Agricultural Department for identification which they submitted to Baron von Mueller, and he pronounced them to be poison. This is what is known as Nix's poison.

10825. What area of land do you consider a man should have in this district?—He should not have less than 2,000 acres.

10826. To Mr. VENN: I would not encourage anyone to go in for the orchard business in this district. I do not consider the market will be good enough, considering that all countries are taking up cool storage for fruit, and can successfully carry fruit over from season to season. In regard to the settlers on the poorer land, I do not see how they can succeed. There is too much poison. I am of opinion the Government should give this land to settlers under improvement clauses. They can always put a land tax on it when it has been improved, and if the settlers now pay the survey fee, that is all they should be required to do.

10827. By Mr. PAYNTER: Do you consider the classification of land satisfactory?—Yes, I consider the classification of good land in the South-West so far as the prices are concerned is very fair.

10828. By Mr. VENN: What class of sheep do you favour?—I consider the best cross sheep for this district is the Boarder Leicester. Of course, wool from the English Leicester is better. I do not consider my district will be good for dairying. The season is too short, and the railway facilities bad. We have no swamp land. I have tried lucerne, but not with much success. I have tried several artificial grasses, and the only sort any good is paspalum. I prefer the native grasses on the ordinary country, but if you have good land and break it up, artificial grasses should do well. The poor land responds well to manuring. There is a wonderful difference in the grass produced after the application of Mt. Lyell manures, the benefit of which will last for four or five years.