SATURDAY, 9th MARCH, 1918. (At Denmark.) —————— Present: J. O. Giles, Esq., Chairman. H. H. Paynter Esq., | F. E. Venn, Esq.

WILLIAM THOMAS MARWICK, Farmer, West Denmark, sworn and examined:

11541. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been on the land in this district six or seven years. I came from Kurrawang on the goldfields. I was brought up in Victoria. I have 78 acres of conditional purchase land at 15s. 6d. per acre. It was originally £2 12s. 6d. I have about 30 acres partially cleared. Of course I have not taken out the big trees. I have about 50 acres fenced, a house of five rooms, the necessary sheds and buildings I am a married man with eight children. I have two horses, 11 head of cattle, two pigs, and half an acre of orchard. I started with £200, and have borrowed from the Agricultural Bank £224. This is the total of my liabilities to-day. I find I can hardly make a living on the block yet. My two sons go out and work.

11542. To Mr. VENN: I am satisfied with my prospects here. The character of my ground is mostly high with a little swamp. I intend to go in for dairying. Cows do well here on the natural grasses, and I am able to dairy all the year round. I have planted lucerne. I find this does well without irrigation. It is planted on the hill country. I have it from 1ft. 6in. to 3ft. high at the present time. I have had some of it in for 5½ years, and it is still good. There is no trouble with the couch grass.

11543. How do your cows milk?—We have not kept any records of the yields from the cows. I send 2,000lbs. of cream per annum to the factory. I started with two cows at the beginning of the year, and am now milking six. I am nine miles from the nearest siding.

11544. Do you find the factory is a benefit to you?—Yes. If it was not there Denmark would be ruined. It would mean that we should have to send the cream to Albany, and it would not pay the small man, just starting, to get the necessary cans, etc.

11545. Do you find the bacon factory has been of use to you?—No. At present they cannot take all the pigs grown in the district. People will not go in for pigs on this account. They turn out a good class of bacon as a rule, although the storekeepers, I believe, often buy elsewhere.

11546. By Mr. PAYNTER: Have you found the departmental experts of any assistance to you?—No; I have not had much help from them; I have had to go on "my own."

11547. By Mr. VENN: What is the cost of clearing this country?—The cost of clearing my place has been £16 per acre, leaving the big trees. Mine was heavy country. I leave six to eight trees to the acre.

11548. Do you use explosives?—Explosives have been used to a great extent, but they are too dear now.

11549. What is your method of clearing?—We ringbark the trees, cut the scrub down, pack it up and burn it. It is best to have the trees rung 18 months before commencing to burn. After this there are big logs to dispose of and the roots.

11550. By the CHAIRMAN: How many cows do you consider you could carry on this block of yours?—Twenty, I should say.

11551. By Mr. VENN: What crops do you plant?—I find the clovers have done well, once the ground has been broken up. I have not gone in for grasses to any extent.

11552. By the CHAIRMAN: Are there any other matter you would like to bring to the notice of the Commission?—Only that I wish to specially protest against the proposal to remove the factory from the State farm at Denmark. (The witness retired.)