Eastern States, and at that time it was not possible to express more than a doubt.

11876. What proportion of the Harvey do you consider is unsuitable for orange culture ?—I cannot make any estimate of that.

11877. Are you familiar with the irrigation scheme which has been devised for the Harvey district ?—I made three short inspections of the Harvey district since the scheme was inaugurated.

11878. Do you consider that Harvey was suitable for an irrigation scheme ?—Are you referring to citrus growing or to general irrigation ? When they first talked of irrigation, they spoke of it in regard to citrus growing. At the first show at which the subject was mentioned, I happened to be responding to a toast and I said I considered it necessary, to seriously warn them, because if they got an irrigation scheme and instituted irrigation as it was generally understood, it would mean the ruination of from half to two-thirds of the orange trees. There was dissent. Harvey does not want irrigation in the accepted sense for orange trees. The most the trees want is a slight watering twice or three times in the summer, depending upon the season, in order to carry the trees though the dry period. I told them that if they applied more water than that, the trees would be worse than if they had Armillaria. That warning was given in three consecutive years at the shows which were held. Then they put in their scheme and the result has been what was anticipated. Some were warned in time and were careful. The irrigation scheme has not been put in for citrus growing, but for general purposes. For citrus trees only a pipe system was what was wanted. The present system is bringing about an entirely fresh set of conditions for Harvey. It makes Harvey a general irrigation settlement, and the land that was unsuited for oranges will be thoroughly profitable under other classes of crops. The whole question is one of extreme complexity. The result of the scheme has been to do serious harm to the citrus industry. I am not prepared to allot the blame. Probably the final result of the irrigation scheme will be entirely good.

11879. To what other purpose do you think the Harvey land could be devoted under irrigation such as to be immediately profitable ?—They could have summer potatoes and summer fodder crops, which would carry dairying and pig-keeping in their train. If some of those blocks were to be graded they might have splendid pastures of red clover, cocksfoot and English grasses. Under those conditions they would be able to get a crop of clover and grass hay in early summer, and have splendid pasture all the rest of the year. Then there would be paspalum and Lucerne.

11880. Then, if the scheme was designed as an assistance to the citrus culture, in your opinion, it has been a mistake ?—I think that as a scheme to assist citrus culture, a pipe system would have been better suited to the purpose. Although expensive, such a scheme would have enabled sprinkler irrigation to be carried on, and so the present supply of water would have been equal to four times what it is under the existing system.

11881. Do you know of any Lucerne plots in the South-West which have been successful under irrigation ?—Temporarily, yes, but none permanently, because of the couch difficulty. In many instances, of course, this has been due to the bad methods followed.

11882. Are you aware that Mr. Scott, the irrigation expert for the State, was never detailed to assist or supervise the Harvey irrigation scheme ?—I believe that is so.

11883. Do you consider that was good policy ?—Absolutely wrong.

11884. By Mr. PAYNTER :Do you regard the Harvey irrigation scheme as incomplete ?— Yes.

11885. By the CHAIRMAN : To what purpose do you think the Brunswick State farm should be devoted to further its usefulness ?—I do not think the Brunswick Stater farm has demonstrated a single thing which has not been demonstrated over and over again by private people, except that it did demonstrated irrigation during the first years and did it thoroughly well.

11887. By Mr. PAYNTER : What about the uprooting of the orchard; did not that demonstrate the unsuitability of the soil ?—But that was demonstrated 80 years ago before.

11888. By Mr. CLARKSON : They have a very decent herd of cattle there ?—Certainly, but what has become of all the culls they imported to the Brunswick State Farm ? They have been sold to the poor, unfortunate farmer. The year before last, they sold a number of cows, not one of which has any front teeth ; some of them had not a tooth in their heads.

11889. By Mr. PAYNTER : Where are the good cows ?—They are there now, or they were until the disposal sale.

11890. By the CHAIRMAN: They have only 20 there now ?—I expect the balance have been disposed of.

11891. By Mr. CLARKSON : They had a nice lot of Ayrshire cattle when I was there ?—They always have had a good herd. If they have now picked 20 of the best of the lot, they ought to be worth looking at. Have you looked up the last report of Professor Lowrie made when he was going away ? If not, I suggest that you do so. I only have the portion that was published in the West Australian. Amongst other things the professor said in regard to farming generally that he recognised that a campaign of practical instruction was more urgent than theory and research. With regard to the development of Denmark, it is highly desirable that a strong effort should be made to reduce the size of the holdings, to enable the people to concenerate on smaller areas, and settle more people on the land which the others would give up. I have suggested to the people there that instead of advocating the extension of the railway and further distributing the settlers they should tell the Government that they would be willing to surrender those areas of their farms that they could not properly work, provided the Government returned to them the amount of rents they had paid and the value of the improvements they had made on the land which they gave up. This would enable them to properly establish themselves on the area of land that they were able to work. The settlers to whom I spoke in regard to this matter recognised that it would be the right