taken up near my 300-acre block for grazing purposes.

(The witness retired.)

—————————

NORMAN KENT KINGDON, Farmer, Williams Bay, sworn and examined:

11583. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been seven years on the land in this district. I came from New Zealand where I was farming . I have 105 acres with my brother. We are paying the Government £1 6s. per acre. We are 6½ miles from the railway siding. WE have 40 acres partially cleared and 80 acres fenced. I am a single man. We have a three-roomed house, the necessary stable and, six cows ,seven heifers, and a bull, two horses and three yearlings, and six pigs. We have three acres of orchard planted five years ago mostly to apply. We started with no capital. One of us went out and worked. and we borrowed from the Agricultural Bank £250. We can make a living from the block, and progressing all right.

11584. To Mr. VENN: I consider the best lines to follow here dairying and pig raising. Fruit growing here are no market at the present time. A lot settlers also have planted tree on land that is not suitable for fruit tree.

11585. To the CHAIRMAN: We are looking to the export trade in fruit to assist us considerably. We grow wheat and oats for hay. We manure to the extent of 1½cwt. of super to the acre and also give our land a top dressing of super. We can get 30cwt. to two tons to the acre. We grow swedes for the cows which we fertilise to the extent of three cwt. to the acre. The ground in the first place is poor; it needs improving.

11586. By Mr. PEYNTER: What induced you to come here?— Where I came from it was bush country and here I learned that the Government was sowing the land with grass seeds and I thought you could establish pasture here in the same manner as we can in New Zealand. But I find it is necessary to cultivate before you can induce the pasture. The climate is a very good one and the texture of the soil is good. bot it has to has to be made with stocking. I can see now after the sock has been running on the pasture it is improving very considerably. I should like to say in regard to the butter and bacon factory that when it was built we were induced to go in for cows and pigs. Now we cannot get rid of our pigs. The factory cannot take them. There is a question in Perth as to whether this factory should be removed. The Government should advise us definitely what they intent to do. In regard to the establishment of a factory at Albany, there are people here with two or three cows that would not send their cream to Albany and who can get a start in a small way by sending small lots of a local factory.

(The witness retired)

—————————

STEPHEN HENRY JOHNSON, Farmer, Denmark, sworn examined:

11587. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been six and a half years in the district. I had no previous experience of farming. I was a schoolmaster in England. I have two blocks, one 114 acres and the other 87. The 87 acres I am paying £1 1s. per acre for, and for the 114 acres I am paying £1 per acre. This is five and a half miles from the railway station. I have 34 acres fully cleared and six acres partly cleared. All my property is fenced. I am a married man with four children. I have a house of eight rooms, the necessary shed, two horses, two cows two heifers, 12 pigs. I started with about £3,000 capital and I owe the Agricultural Bank £225. At the present time I am making my living off the land. There is a small return from the cows and I get a little from the orchard; I have nearly 30 acres of orchard planted in two lots, one lot has been in five years and the other three years. I have planted practically all apples and pears.

11588.To Mr. VENN ;I am looking forward to the export trade in the matter of fruit. Mr. Moody advised me as to the varieties to grow. Jonathans Cleopatras are the main varieties. I may say in this district the colour of apples is particularly good.

11589. To Mr. PAYNTER: I use bone dust and super in the proportion of 1½lb. if bone dust and 1½lb of super to each tree. I also plough in crops of peas as green manure.

11590 Have you any difficulty in the matter of labour?—Yes, there is a great shortage of labour in this district.

11591. What is the depth of the soil on your property?—It varies from about one foot to two and a half feet before you strike clay. I should like to remark in regard to the Agricultural Bank advances :at the present time I consider that some amendment could be made in regard to advances orchard properties. This might be done each year. After the first or say the second year, the trees commence to be of some value, and yearly advances might be made subsequently and until they reach maturity. My capital outlay has been very considerable and I consider that when a fruit orchard reaches the bearing stage it is an asset to the State, Hence my reason for suggesting these progress advances. this , of course, would be in cases where the department is aware that the orchard is well planted on suitable land well managed.an orchard.

(The witness retired)

—————————

ADOLPH CARL AUGUST RUHEN. Orchardist and Dairyman, Denmark, sworn examined:

11592. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been about nine years in the district. I came from the goldfields to this place. I was brought up as an orchardist in Germany. I have been in the colonies since 1888. I have 134 acres for which I paid 12s. 6d. per acre. I am three and a quarter miles from the railway station and I have 22 acres cleared, and all the property is fenced. I have 10 acres of orchard. I am a married man with two children. I have a six-roomed house, separating room, stable and sheds, two horses, nine head of cattle, and one pig. I tarted with £800 and have borrowed £250 from the Agricultural Bank. In addition, I owe merchants about £25. I am able to make a bare living on the land, though for the past two years I have been unable to pay my interest. One of my boys is out working and put s money into the property. I consider that we could get cheap lime for our orchard it would help very considerably. Most of my land limestone formation, and if it was.