GEORGE THOMPSON, aged 60, Farmer, Grass Patch, married, no children; sworn and examined:

262. By the CHAIRMAN: What is the extent of your holding at Grass Patch?—It is 3,786 acres of freehold, save for 150 acres. I came to the district in 1905 and have principally lived here ever since. For the first four years I lived here continuously. There was a crop of 500 acres on the property when I purchased it in 1905. Of that area 100 acres was on fallow with super. Of the rest, some was ploughed and some scarified as late as July. I cannot say what seed and super were used. The result was 540 tons of hay and 106 acres of fallow, averaging 2¼ tons. We have had crops every year, sometimes with and sometimes without super, but all with fair results. We have never had a failure. My first crop was the best, whether for hay or for wheat; 100 acres of which if stripped would have given 30 bushels. I believe the remainder was put in without super. In the second year we had 300 acres which gave an average of 20 cwt. In the first year I sent chaff to Norseman. The cartage cost £3 per ton, and the price averaged £13 per ton in Norseman. The second year's crop I sent to Norseman with our own teams. The contract price was £5 per ton. We got from £10 to £12 a ton for that crop. After that there was talk of the railway from Coolgardie to Norseman, and consequently we did not crop much, the railway spoiling the Norseman market. All the year round we averaged 70 head of big stock. Old cleared paddocks will carry one head of big stock to the 10 acres, or just about equal to 10 sheep. We can run a sheep to two acres all the year round. Continued cultivation will run it up to equal to one sheep per acre. Sheep do better than cattle in this district, but for sheep one requires wire netting. Dingoes are so bad that we have had them take fowls. A proper system of dry farming is the only satisfactory method for this district. I have used 70lbs. of super., but Professor Lowrie told me to use 100 lbs. Of seed 60lbs. is about right. With this proportion good results are assured. I know all the farms round this district. The methods employed are for the most very inadequate. I have seen seed put in with hardly sufficient ground disturbed to cover it. The railway survey is within about 15 chains of my property on the west side. All the dams in the district carry fresh water. I do not think the salinity of the soil will affect the growing of crops in the district. I do not think any attempt has been made to get fresh water by well-sinking. In deep sinking in other States we always struck salt water first. I have been managing stock and stations nearly all my life. I have not tried a well at Grass Patch, one can get water so easily by constructing dams. I have six on my property and all but one hold permanent water. The one won't hold because they struck a granite outcrop. It is the only one in the district with no water in it. We have a good deal of machinery on the farm. Most of what I have secured myself has been brought from South Australia. The bringing of machinery into the district is very costly. Super costs us £11 per ton, namely, £6 to land and £5 cartage from Esperance here. I paid £6 2s. 6d. on the last super in Esperance. I employ no labour at present. The rates of wages ruling here are £2 per week and found, and generally the only men procurable are men from the fields with no experience of farming.

263. What in your opinion would be the best way to assist the district?—By constructing a through railway. The district cannot be profitably farmed without a railway. I have been 40 miles west of here and 70 miles south and I found it mallee all the way. A fair load on the Esperance-Norseman road in dry weather is half a ton per horse from Esperance to Grass Patch and to Norseman three-quarters of a ton. We are not troubled by rabbits in the crop. I have been to the Meadows. It is very good country with a lot of bull oak growing on it. During the last couple of years we have gone into dairying to the extent of 8 to 10 cows. We have been sending away 50lbs. of butter per week all this year since February. We send the butter by motor to Esperance and to Norseman, the freight being 2d. per lb. each way. We have 40 pigs at present but have not gone in extensively for them.

264. By Mr. PADBURY: Do pigs do well?—Yes, very well. We are running them out except what we want to fatten. The heat of summer does not affect the crops.

265. By Mr. McDONALD: You are running 70 head of big stock all the year round on 900 acres of old fields. If one head of big stock is equal to 10 sheep this is equal to one sheep to the acre?—Yes. As long as I have been in the Grass Patch district there has not been one acre properly farmed. We have ploughed a bit better than others because we have had more strength, but I do not consider we have farmed properly, that is in respect to Grass Patch.

(The witness retired.) ALBERT EZEKIEL SHEPHERD, aged 48, Farmer, near Grass Patch, married, three girls and two boys, ages up to 9 years—sworn and examined:

266. By the CHAIRMAN: What land do you hold in the district?—I have 1,600 acres of C.P., including 160 acres of homestead Location 94. I took it up in July, 1910.

267. What improvements have you?—I have cleared 500 acres, sunk a 500-yard dam, erected 10 miles of three-wire fencing, built a house and two sheds, pigsties, etc. I have not had any previous experience of farming. The present will be my sixth crop. To begin with, I started getting the mallee out, but it was too expensive, costing £4 an acre. I went on rolling and snagging; that worked out at about 30s. an acre. Probably it could be done for £1. I disc-harrowed and drilled the first crop. I had no plough. It was the best crop I have had. I had in 150 acres that year. I started sowing in May and finished in July. I cut the best 57 acres for hay and got practically a ton to the acre. I had 20 acres of wheat. It was sown by the 7th June, and it went 10 bushels. All that was sown later and earlier averaged eight bushels. In the following year I ploughed but did not fallow. In the second year I put in 103 acres ploughed and disc-harrowed, and drilled with 50lbs. of super and 45lbs. of seed. I cut the lot for hay and got 35 tons for the 103 acres. It was a dry year. In the third year, 1913, it was still worse. I put in 150 acres, of which 90 acres was rough fallowed. I used the same quantity of seed. The result was very poor; 90 acres cut 13½ tons of hay, and I got 210 bushels from 60 acres.