2nd Progress Report - Part 1

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This transcription is complete

There are very few failures, so far as the newer settlement on the poorer land is concerned. I refer to the Dinninup estate. This is not satisfactory, Dinninup is one of the worst districts. The holdings are too small and the land poor. I consider that a man should have nothing less than 1,000 acres to succeed in these parts.

(the witness retired.)

WILLIAM PURDOM SCOTT, Farmer, Delmore, Upper Blackwood, sworn and examined:

10842. To Mr PAYNTER: I have been 19 years in the district. I had no previous experience in farming. I have 800 acres of which 200 acres is freehold and the balance C.P. It is 10 miles from the railway. The land is all fenced and 350 acres is cleared and ploughable. I have 25 acres of orchard planted principally with apples and pears, a full working plant and carry 500 sheep, nine horses, eight cows, and six pigs. The average carrying capacity of my land, which is specially good, would be 300 ewes and their increase per annum. I usually crop my land once or twice and let it return to grass.

10843. to Mr VENN: Do you get good returns from your cropping?—the heaviest crop of oats on 40 acres was 120 tons of hay and I consider there were 10 tons that I could not harvest. I sowed two bushels of Algerian oats and a mixture of superphosphate and bone dust at the rate of one cwt. of super. and half cwt. of bone dust to the acre. The average yield of oats for the district is about 25 bushels. Wheat does not do well. I have gone in for peas and have obtained 30 bushels of peas two years in succession. I am quite satisfied with my position.

10844. Are there any pests that you have to combat?—Yes, the dingoes caused us to lose over 1,000 sheep in three years. I was in partnership with my brother then. Since then we have put a man on at £1 a day for seven weeks. He got seven dogs and since then we have not been troubled with them. I think he killed them right out.

10845. By Mr VENN: Do you go in for dairying?—No I think, however, that dairying could be carried on with advantage. One thing I should like to point out. In the past the Agricultural Bank has been lending money for ringbarking which to my mind is wrong in this timbered country. They will advance up to 2s. 6d. for ringbarking but will not follow it up with money for clearing. A lot of this country had been ruined by this policy. No further money after the ringbarking is available for keeping the undergrowth down. The result of this policy is to be seen on the jarrah and redgum country where it is apparent on almost every holding.

10846. Reverting to your fruit growing operations, what line pays you best?—Apples—and I consider the future prospects of the fruit growing industry good. I consider that it costs 2s. 6d. per case on rails including wages but without any profit. The average return from a tree in normal years in a well established orchard should be three cases. I have obtained this return from my 12 year old orchard.

10847. BY Mr PAYNTER: Do you find labour satisfactory?—No I have difficulty in securing labour of any description.

10848. Have you tried fruit drying?—No, I do not go in for evaporating. The price offering is only 7½d. per lb. for dried apples. It takes 8lbs. of apples to produce one lb. of the dried article. I cannot make wages for this work.

(The witness retired.)

GEORGE FRIAR DICKSON, Farmer, Boyup Brook, sworn and examined:

10849. To Mr PAYNTER: I have been 32 years in the district on my land. I have 3,500 acres, 500 of which are freehold and the balance C.P. It is four miles from the railway, all fenced and 200 acres are ploughable. I am well equipped with buildings and a home. I have 17 acres of orchard planted to apples principally. I have 1,200 sheep, which is the full carrying capacity of my land, 70 head of cattle, 21 horses and four pigs, I rely on fruit and the grazing stock. I started with £700 capital. I find my orchard pays well, and I consider the prospects in this district are good. My average return per tree equals 1½ cases of apples and pears about the same.

10850. To Mr VENN: I go in for the merino strong wool sheep. I find the district suits the strong wool variety. They have a large frame for mutton. I find my lambs, since I have ringbarked my country, are half as big again as when I started. My sheep cut 7lbs. of wool and the wool from this district brings high prices. The stock are very healthy, although the blow-fly is certainly a problem to cope with. I spray my sheep just before lambing. This is very effective. I believe in feeding them artificially in order to carry them over the dry season. This pays better than growing crops for sale. I feed about one ton of chaff per week to 1,100 sheep. This keeps the sheep fat. Clover is coming along well and will provide good feed. The average weight of fat wethers is 50lbs.

10851. Do you go in for dairying?—yes. I think the district will be a good one for dairying. I send my cream to the Bunbury factory.

10852. What class of cows do you have?—Jerseys.

10853. Have you any difficulty in getting labour?—Yes, labour is very scares here, although personally I am well off because I have my family to rely on. One cannot get skilled labour. Those from town are no good.

10854. How are the settlers on the poorer land doing?—Those around here are getting on fairly well. So far as the poison country is concerned, and the settlers out there, I am afraid they will not do well unless the Government lets them have the land on easier terms. It is hard enough to get their places in order, and if they have to get the poison out, and cannot start carrying stock for a long time, having to meet their payments in the interim, their success is doubtful. I think they should give this country to the settlers provided they fence, clear the poison and stock the land within a given time. Any good land in this district available now is poison infested. A lot of the land that they