ence. You will get three crops of apples in the coastal district in one season and not one of them typical of the variety supposed to be grown on that particular tree.

11802. Notwithstanding that, Mr Harry Davies, of Pinjarra, tells us that he has an average yield of five cases per tree?—Mr Davies is right on the Murray River, and he is on a bit of picked soil. He is not on the coastal country that one gets on the western side. He is on the eastern side of the line, towards the hills.

11803. You would agree that the returns of Mr Davies are quite satisfactory?—Quite satisfactory. He is one of the few exceptions. His land is a particularly nice spot, deep soil. His oranges, too are particularly good, which argues that he must be on an exceptional spot, because one cannot grow both apples and oranges well on the same block, as a rule.

11804. The department's contention would be that it is not impossible but inadvisable?—Quite inadvisable. As a rule it would not pay.

11805. That was largely the argument on which the famous rooting out of trees at Brunswick took place?—Yes. The way the roots of the trees came up there was very extraordinary. The roots would not go down.

11806. Are there any suggestions you can make to the Commission as to how the condition of the fruit industry can be improved?—If we had a lot more money to spend we might improve it. Under present conditions I do not know what could be done. Central markets and cold stores could be erected. Louvered vans are also required, and another big item would be fast freight trains to carry perishable produce.

11807. By Mr PAYNTER: Do you have any supervision over the way in which the Railway Department carry fruit?—We have no supervision but we get plenty of complaints. The fruit growers have an association of their own, and the executive are living in or near Perth, and they get in touch with the Railway Department. The department had a suggestion from the Bridgetown association to the effect that small experimental orchards should be established throughout the State, in place of one large one. A certain amount of benefit would accrue to the industry but there are many other things on which money could be more wisely spent.

11808. Do you not think that the best orchardist is doing that in nearly every district?—Very nearly. Orchardists also watch each other and note the methods being adopted. They are sometimes very jealous of success which may be attained by others.

11809. Do you think that after the jealousy has been digested, they go home and adopt methods which are being followed by the more successful man?—I think they do.

(The witness retired.)

GEORGE LOWE SUTTON, Commissioner of the Wheat Belt, sworn and examined:

11810. By the CHAIRMAN: What has been the cost of the Brunswick State Farm with accumulated interest and charges?—That information was not quite ready when I left. It will be sent along after me.

11811. Well, take the Denmark State Farm?—That is on the same file. The information will be here presently.

11812. Who is in charge of the Brunswick and Denmark State farms to-day?—The managers are directly responsible to Mr Wicken, and I exercise a supervising direction over Mr Wicken.

11813. A question which has come before us is that of the supply of seed potatoes, and of assisting growers to obtain new seed from within the State, or from outside sources?—I have already issued instructions that an area shall be set aside at both the Brunswick and the Denmark State farms for the growing of seed potatoes in accordance with the most modern methods of producing selected, pedigree seed. Just prior to the decease of our late potato inspector, I visited the Brunswick farm and set aside an area of 15 acres for the purpose. Owing to the decease of the inspector, the matter is now in abeyance. In regard to the introduction of potatoes to potato districts from other districts within the State, or from outside the State, I instructed the late potato inspector to see what could be done without jeopardising the industry.

11814. The question of reinforcing the available seeds appears to be acute throughout the South-West. Every assistance should be given to the growers to procure seeds from other Australian States of from abroad?—I agree that every assistance should be given. How it should be given must be carefully considered. Seeing that the Southern part of the State is practically free from serious disease. In that district the conditions are such that if disease were to be introduced it would spread at a most alarming rate. Therefore, we have to take every precaution. The death of the late inspector, who had this question in hand, is a matter over which we had no control. It has delayed things until his position is again filled.

11815. The growers as a whole are hostile to the idea of the State growing seed potatoes themselves if allowed to get seed without harassing restriction?—If they have made those representations to you they are at variance with the representations made to me. Wherever I have been in the potato districts representations have been made that we should grow the seed at the State farms. When recently at Brunswick I announced the policy of the Government in regard to this, the growers present agreed with what we proposed to do. What has to be considered is whether the growers are the best judges of what should be done. It is very doubtful whether some of the growers really understand what is meant when we talk about growing selected pedigree seed, and very few of the growers could adopt such methods. Some of the crops I have seen were very suitable indeed for seed, but the bulk of them were very much mixed.

11816. Generally speaking it was the successful growers who condemned the idea of the Government growing seed, while the unsuccessful growers were inclined to ask the State to grow seed?—I am very much mistaken if the impression I have is not correct. I believe Mr Sampson, of Bornholm, favours the State growing pure seed potatoes; also Messrs. Woolf Bros. of the same district. They are not unsuccessful men. Their methods are evidently satisfactory. I say unhesitatingly that if the bulk of the potato growers adopted their methods better results would be obtained. Unless I am very mistaken, they welcomed the idea that the Govern-