visible for the department to give us some information first hand from all existing sources. If we can make sugar here, I consider there are big possibilities also in the manufacture of jams from the fruit purchased locally. It is no good for us to try and send fruit produced here to Perth. The market is too far away.

(The witness retired.)

WILLIAM JOHNSTON, Storekeeper and Farmer, Manjimup, sworn and examined:

10934. To Mr PAYNTER: I have been established in this district since 1911. I have 200 acres personally, and am interested in 450 acres: 320 acres of this is freehold and the balance C.P. It is five miles from the railway, all fenced, 60 acres cleared right out, and 40 acres partially cleared. It is all ringbarked, and equipped with the necessary buildings. We have 12 horses and 8 pigs, and 20 dairy heifers. We have been potato growing principally, with good results. Last year we averaged eight tons to the acre over 20 acres. We use Cuming Smith's "C" brand manure. We use a bag for each bag of seed, and 10lbs. of ammonia forces the potatoes on the moist land but it is good on the dry land. Where we are growing in moist land I use the same quantity of ammonia, a bag of potato manure, and a bag of bonedust.

10935. To Mr VENN: I consider the future prospects of this country are good, and it is one of the finest dairying countries in Australia. It is the home of clovers. I came from Gippsland, and am speaking from experience of the country district there. There is more good land for grass growing in this district than in Gippsland. This year we have 20 acres of potato in, and only estimate four to 4½ tons to the acre on account of the heavy rains we have experienced.

10936. To Mr PAYNTER: I estimate the cost of producing potatoes at about £7 per ton on rails, that is, if you have the proper plant. Last year I grew five acres of potatoes on red gum, jarrah, and Blackbutt country. It was felled and blasted in December, burnt off in March and April, ploughed in May and planted in August, and I got eight tons to the acre. You cannot do this in Victoria.

10937. To Mr VENN: I am planting now what is called dry land. It is on the hillside, but of course it is moist.

10938. To Mr PAYNTER: If you are going in for intense culture, and intend to go in for green manuring, I recommend this class of clearing, but for grass and clovers ringbarking and clearing in the dry is the best method.

10939. To Mr VENN: The cows milk well on the natural clovers. There is one known here as "Giblett" grass. Mr Giblett has nothing else but Giblett grass on his property, and fattens a number of bullocks all the year round.

10940. To Mr PAYNTER: In regard to the newer settlement here, and to sum up the land settlement question, there are three very necessary things. The first thing is to get a man with his heart in the land, secondly you want him to have sufficient capital to get over the initial stages. A man without any knowledge of farming to settle on this land should have from £500 to £700 in order to make a success. I would be prepared to start 20 farmers with £500 capital, if they would do what I told them. A thing that is necessary is that knowledge should be imparted to the farmers, and their operations should be supervised. I consider that the Agricultural Bank has wasted money here. We now have a good Agricultural Bank inspector, but the Agricultural Department does not follow up and teach a man what to do. I have suggested to the Agricultural Bank that in connection with the roads board elections, there should be elected three honorary advisory men to work in conjunction with the Agricultural Bank inspector or any inspector of the Agricultural Department, for the purpose of supervising and advising farmers. The rate payers would see that the best men are elected. The newer settlers here are not doing as well as they should be, owing to the fact that they are not properly advised. Some of them are the right men, but some of them have lost heart. I took over one place of ours two years ago from two Englishmen. They had a mortgage of £500 with the Agricultural Bank. They were good workers but got behind with the merchants. They were honourable men and would have got on right enough but they were people who were somewhat diffident about seeking advice. They were pushed by the Perth merchants and decided to go into liquidation. I told them that we would take the place over with all liabilities and would give them £100. It was a poor reward for their work for four or five years. Since then we have developed this place by spending a thousand pounds on it. People all round, that is, five miles out, were about to give up, and they are all doing well now, as we have been able to provide the object lesson for them. Mr James Mitchell was down during his term of office, and advised that the Agricultural Bank would assist us all they could, as he said that we were of more assistance to the neighbouring settlers than any State farm. Many people now place themselves in our hands and we advise them, and if they are in difficulties we stick to them. These men want more encouragement, and if a local advisory board of good men was established they would do wonderful work. There are men who have spent Agricultural Bank money the result of which will never be seen unless the settlers are given more sympathetic treatment. The ringbarking policy has been wrong, so also has the fencing policy. Ringbarking has been paid for where the men have been unable to go on with the clearing, and it has all grown up again. Local knowledge is absolutely necessary, and working it from Perth is fatal. I have urged men to clear rather than fence, and have written to the Agricultural Bank and obtained a lot of men this assistance. I advise that the Government should give them £10 per acre for clearing and £ for ploughing the first year, and £2 for ploughing the second year. If you only give them enough money for clearing and do nothing further, it is throwing money away. The inspector of the Agricultural Bank at Bridgetown is one of the finest men they could get, but his district is far too large. If he could have certain days and call at places and meet the Agricultural Advisory Board that I have suggested and confer with them as to the progress of farmers in each locality, he would be able to supply better information to his head office. You must get to the best part of your land. First get