11504. Do you consider you can make a good living on your block?—I can at any rate make a living from it. I am a dairy farmer and make butter here.

11505. To Mr VENN: I intend to go in for dairying, but my blocks are too small to do it on a big scale. I lost about £800 worth of potatoes in the last two seasons on account of the floods. The first year I planted I got nine to 10 tons to the acre. The average is about six to seven tons. I use about 12cwt. of ammonia tot he acre. I mix this myself. Of course we cannot now get potash, which is a serious disadvantage. It cost me £10 per acre t clear the timber from the swamp, which, however, was cheap. it is worth £14 to clear.

11506. What variety of potato do you plant?—The Factor and the Delaware potatoes are the best we grow here. I planted six bags of Delaware seed and took 210 bags from it.

11507. Are you affected by the drainage scheme?—Yes.

11508. What is your opinion of it?—The drainage can only be improved by widening the outlet into the Inlet. The outlet is not big enough to take the water away. Water could get away much quicker if the outlet into the lake was increased in width.

11509. By the CHAIRMAN: Are there any matters in particular that you consider might be of advantage to the district?—This is a dairying district, but a man cannot get on unless he goes in for mixed farming. There is a commonage out here which is leased to private individuals, and with our small holdings it is necessary to send our dried stock away. This we cannot do.

11510-11. By Mr PAYNTER: Have the experts of the Department of Agriculture been of assistance to you?—I have never asked for any assistance from them. In regard to pig keeping. We cannot get rid of our pigs. The butcher will not take them except at a losing price. The Denmark factory will not take any in the summer and in the winter you have to speak to them a fortnight before, and then the manager might only take one or two pigs. We dare not go in for pigs because we cannot get rid of them. This is one of the principal things that I have to mention, this and the use of the commonage for our dry stock. (The witness retired.)

ROBERT TRAVERS WOLFE, representing Wolfe Bros., Farmer, Bornholm, sworn and examined:

11512. to the CHAIRMAN: I have been nine years on the land here. I came from Claremont in this State. I had a few years farming in New Zealand, and worked on Mr Rome's dairy, at Claremont, for about six years. We hold about 900 acres for which the Government is charging 10s. per acre. it is both hill and swamp land. We have about 700 acres fenced and 90 acres cleared. We have three homes on the land, six horses, 15 head of cattle, and four pigs. We started with practically no capital. We have received advances from the Agricultural Bank, but have repaid them. We have a small overdraft with the National Bank which we can repay as soon as we have sold our produce. We make our living principally from potato growing.

11513. To Mr VENN: We put in about 20 acres annually. This is almost all swamp land. The average yield from the last two crops was about 160 tons from 20 acres. The year before this we got about 100 tons from the same acreage. I used to use four bags of super., two bags of potash and 1½ bags of ammonia. We cannot get this manure now. So far as our experience goes, the Factor gives the best results. Our land is well drained and has a good fall. The water runs away quickly. There are not many swamps like that here. We grow our own seed on the hill country and get from four to five tons to the acre of good seed from this crop. We rack our seed and "green" them. The racks are made with wire netting. By this means you can reject any bad seed.

11514. By Mr VENN: Are you doing any dairying?—We intend to go in for dairying as soon as the potatoes give out and send the produce from our cows to Denmark. We only milk in the winter time now.

11514a. Is there any disease in the potatoes?—There is scab in some swamps, and eel worm, but not in many places. If settlers are well advised by the Agricultural Department, it can be held in check. Mr Bratby advised treating with "Vapourite," and he considers this is an absolute remedy. We have had Irish blight in the hill crop badly, but there is no sign of it this year in the swamp.

11515.  By the CHAIRMAN: Do you think that the majority of the settlers here will make good?—Yes, if they do not get any more floods. The last four years there has been too much summer rain. With normal seasons, I consider that this is as good a district as anywhere. We can do with better roads, but these will come in good time.

(The witness retired.)

FRANK ARTEMUS WARD, Farmer, Young's Siding, sworn and examined:

11516. to the CHAIRMAN: I have been four years in the district. I have been on the land in this locality practically all my life. I have 130 acres. Of this only about 20 acres is hill country, the balance is blackboy plain. I have a block at Lake Sadie, also of 62 acres. This I have included in the 130. I am paying £2 16s. for the Lake Sadie swamp. The balance is homestead. I have fenced 20 acres and cleared six. I have a three-roomed house and two horses. I started with about £150 capital. I have been out working to keep my farm and I owe £140. My living is derived chiefly from potato growing.

11517. To Mr VENN: I have struck two bad seasons since I have been here. My potatoes were all flooded out. There is an engineer down now supervising the digging of drains. The Government has given us £100 to deepen these drains, but this is not sufficient and the engineer agrees that this is not enough. He considers that it will take at least £200 to do the thing properly. For further improvements we shall have to rate ourselves. The