vermin board several times but there are not sufficient people interested in the locality. I consider that vermin boards should be made compulsory. The presence of dogs in the last few years has been the means of something like 14,000 acres being thrown up. This land was often fenced and dams put on it and, whereas some years ago there were prosperous farms, to-day there is not a hoof on it. The Agricultural Bank has advanced money on these places, for fencing and dam sinking. I say again that I think the Government should make it compulsory for boards to be formed. For 20 years we have been keeping the dogs back for the people in the district who will not help us to do it. Last year I very nearly sold out of my sheep; 240 were killed by dogs last year. I lost 80 sheep in one week though since the fencing referred to I have been alright. The dogs are dingoes and not domestic dogs gone wild. Trapping is the best way of dealing with them.

10864. To Mr. VENN: In regard to new settlement, this has been unsuccessful principally on account of the dogs, although the land is also unsuitable. The classification is very much too high and it is not uniform. I have no poison on my land. In fixing the price of land the Government should take into consideration the cost of fencing, absence of railway facilities etc.

10865. Is there any dairying done in that district?—No. It is too far from the railway. The land also is not suitable. I suppose for about four months of the year one could dairy.

10866. Do you consider the land laws satisfactory?—I think it is a mistake for the department to enforce the fencing of blocks. I know cases where a man has had to fence and where the fence was no good to him at all. It absorbs all the man's capital.

(The witness retired.)

(At Bridgetown).

Present: H. H. Paynter, Esq. | F. E. Venn, Esq.

OWEN SPARKS, Sloggaroona, Bridgetown, sworn and examined.

10867. To Mr. Paynter: I have been seven years in the district. I have 1,000 acres, about 700 acres of which is freehold and the balance, 14 years C.P. It is 10 miles from Bridgetown. It is all fenced, and 15 acres are under orchard; 45 acres have been under the plough. I have all the necessary buildings and plant. I carry about 370 sheep which is the full sheep carrying capacity of my holding. I could, with further improvements, carry, say a sheep to two acres all the year round. I have four horses and three breeding sows. I grow hay for my own use. In the orchard I grow mostly export varieties. I have pulled out some of my stone fruits as they do not pay.

10868. To Mr. VENN: I consider the prospects for exporting apples are good. People in Tasmania have every confidence in it and surely it should be good enough for us as we are a fortnight nearer to the Home Market and grow a better apple. Last year we exported a considerable number of cases of fruit to the Eastern states with the result that there is a broker in Bridgetown today from the Eastern States and inquiries have been received from Sydney for 50,000 cases of our apples. I consider there will always be a market for our coloured variety of apples in the Eastern States. We had an agent in London who advised us that in the Hamburg market the West Australian apples were always displayed conspicuously, and attracted very considerable attention.

10869. Have you done any evaporating?—No I have not tried it. I consider that it costs 4s. per case to produce export apples delivered on the railway station here. The returns from my orchard from nine year old trees and over, equals six cases per tree, or five to six hundred cases per acre. I fertilise to the extend of 1cwt. of super. to the acre, three quarters cwt, of ammonia and half cwt. of potash. I have paid up to £25 per ton for potash. I have earned a reputation for the color of my apples in the Perth market. I put this down to the potash. Unfortunately, as you know this came from Germany or Alsace. There is no question in my mind that potash is a splendid thing for the orchard.

10870. By Mr. VENN: Are there any pests to be contended with?—The worst pest we have here is the woolly aphis. It is a difficult matter to keep it down on account of the continuous wet weather.

10871. To Mr. PAYNTER: I found that the late Commissioner for Fruit Industries was hard to move in the matter of getting the woolly aphis stamped out the district. Mr. Wickens has been down recently carrying out some experiments. Spraying is no good, but Mr. Wickens is trying to get results form injecting something in the bark