255. Have you been able to draw anything in addition to your wages?—Yes. I get my share of whatever the crop may be.

256. By Mr. McDONALD: At what season did you do that rolling of 400 acres in the second year?—About July and August. I think that is the best time for rolling down here, because the mallee has then a better chance of dying. It is held here to be better to withhold the burning until the year after the rolling, when the burning will kill the suckers. The best month for sowing is as early as possible, for instance, April. Immediately after seeding is the best time for fallowing if it is not too wet. I have taken no samples of soil for analysis. My place is distant five miles from the railway survey.

(The witness retired.) WILLIAMS JAMES LORENDAR FREEMAN, aged 38, farmer, Grass Patch, married, four boys and one girl, aged 7 months to 7 years—sworn and examined:

257. By the CHAIRMAN: What is your position at Grass Patch?—I was farm manager until this year. I am now working on shares with Mr. Thompson.

258. Do you hold any land in the mallee?—At the 30-Mile I have 1,000 acres of C.P. and 160 acres of homestead, Locs. 506 and 581. I had 100 acres rolled down at a cost of £30. There are no other improvements. I took up the land in 1911 or 1912, and it was rolled in 1913. I have not cultivated it.

259. Give us your experience in regard to the crops at Grass Patch during the last four or five years?—At Grass Patch farm I have fallowed as much as I could, just a rough fallow, never worked. I generally fallowed in July or August. Last year we cropped 160 acres that had been fallowed. In 1913-14 we cropped about 120 acres. Sixty acres were in fallow. There was a considerable different in the result as between the fallowed and ploughed land, the fallow being a lot better. We stripped only enough wheat for our own requirements, there being no sale for it down here. Our hay crop in 1913-14 averaged 15cwt. I generally sow between 50 and 60lbs. of seed with 70lbs of super. I think a greater quantity of super would be beneficial, but it is too costly to get it here. It costs over £11 per ton landed. We sold some hay in the district. We stripped between 30 and 40 acres, and got about 60 tons of hay. In 1914-15 we put in about 260 acres, about 120 of which was disc-ploughed up, the balance being fallow. Seed and super were the same as in the previous year. The reuslt was bad, owing to rust. There was a good hay crop, yielding 35cwt. to the acre, but I wanted wheat as it happened. I cut only 75 tons I had 30 acres of Federation over three feet high, and very thick. It was absolutely settled by rust. At present we have 73 acres in crop, all being rough fallow, none of it having been worked. The plough was run over just before we put the seed in. The quantities of seed and super used were the same. The crop looks fairly well. Like the rest of the State, we had a very bad September. I expect this crop will be cut between 15cwt. and a ton, or will strip 10 bushels at least. It is the third crop on this particular area. We have not brought much new land under cultivation during the last three or four years. I have had experience of keeping stock in the district. Sheep and cattle do well. All of ours are in good condition. On an average we run 70 head of big stock all the year round. We used to run 1,000 head of sheep here, moving them out to the coast in the summer time. We have between 600 and 700 acres, cleared at the homestead. Out at North Patch we have 270 acres cleared and wire-netted. the total area held there is 600 or 700 acres nearly all freehold. There is a ring fence round the lot. Our stock are run exclusively on the cultivated area at the North Patch. There is no permanent water there. We have a dam, but there is no water in it at present. We are carrying 120 sheep to-day. They are all running in the paddocks at Grass Patch. In summer time we run the young cattle and young horses up the road or down to the coast. The whole area of the two patches is close on 4,000 acres, practically all freehold. There is nothing for stock on virgin mallee country. The district is all right for wheat growing, particularly if we had railway facilities. It is much better than some others that have railways. Our wheat returns are small, down to six bushels, but we have never grown for grain, or grown grain wheats. If the land were properly worked for wheat 12 bushels to the acre would result in the poor areas. I have stripped 12 bushels off land cultivated and sown without super. There was 65 acres of it. I fed it all to pigs. The average rainfall here is about 15 inches. Last month we only had 60 points; this month we have had an inch and a quarter to date. I have kept the official record of rain here for 10 years past. The district is essentially suitable for mixed farming. I have been farming here for 10 years. I had no previous experience of farming.

260. By Mr. PADBURY: What kinds of wheat do you grow for hay?—Baroota Wonder, Alpha—which does not stool—Gluyas Early, Purple Straw, Marshall's No. 2 and No. 3. Gluyas Early is the best for here. At the first time of ploughing I generally plough four inches deep. Just before drilling I just skim it at 1½ inches. In seeding I have never gone over the bushel. Of super 80 lbs. is the highest we have gone. I cannot say what the effect was. The mallee stumps have considerable trouble. It takes give or six ploughing to get them all out. We have not tried fattening cattle for the butcher. The best beast was a four year old bullock which weighed 800 odd lbs. He was not purposely fattened. Stock do well here.

261. By Mr. McDONALD: Have you taken any samples of soils for analysis?—No, but it was done by the previous manager, Mr. Gollan, who had it analysed at the Roseworthy College, South Australia. As far as I remember, the certificate was satisfactory. I sent it to the department. Mr. Middleton took samples off Grass Patch. They were taken from low-lying ground with a view to determining how crops would grow in such a position.

261A. By the CHAIRMAN: Do you know of any brackish water in the dams?—I know only one instance of brackish water in dams; that was at Lewis's, at Circle Valley.

(The witness retired.)