Mallee - Part 1

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280. By Mr. PADBURY: How far are you from the railway survey?—I am adjoining it. The vegetable garden does very well. Late frosts hurt some of the plants this year and the caterpillars are very thick.

281. By Mr. McDONALD: How long does it take to get rid of the suckers?—Three successive ploughings. The land will not carry much stock without sowing. It pays better to feed wheat to pigs and poultry than to cart it to Norseman. No samples of soil were taken for analysis from my block, but they were taken by Mr. Middleton from the roadside within 100 yards of my place. I do not know what he required them for. I think they were to be analysed in order to determine the constituents of the soil. I think he took a sample from each mile post along the road. There are salt lakes within 100 yards of both places, but I do not think they would affect the soil.

(The witness retired.) THOMAS CROSBROUGH HENCHMAN, aged 39, farmer, Redlands, near Circle Valley, unmarried—sworn and examined:

282. By the CHAIRMAN: What land do you hold in this district?—I have 1,160 acres of C.P., Locations 138 and 85. I have previous experience of farming in Narrogin. I was there 18 months on the land, and at the same time held the position of Government Land Guide. I have 250 acres cleared, all salmon gum country, and 300 acres ring-barked. I have a dam of 410 yards 6ft. deep, four miles of fencing-two barbs-a camp, and a stable. I value my improvements approximately at £450. I took up the land in 1912. The present will be my third crop. The first crop was of 21 acres, and from that I got sufficient hay to put in 60 acres next year and fallow 120 acres, besides working the 60 acres four times. I probably got 8 cwt. to the acre that year Last year I got a wheat average of 10 bushels. The previous year was the drought year, and the only wheat I could obtain was badly weevil eaten; in consequence the Government inspector said that my crop would be a total failure. It proved very thin and some of it was a failure, but most of it stripped actually yielded 15 bushels. I had in all 60 acres of well worked fallow, 16 acres of hay I cut for an average of a ton. I sowed a bushel and a half of seed and got about 5lbs. germination. In some places the plants were three feet apart. Yandilla King made 60 stools to the plant. Of super I sowed 56lbs. to the acre. My dam has held water all the year round up till now, but I expect a shortage this year unless we get a thunderstorm. When I started I had no horses and no implements. I have only one mare today and 30 pigs. I have to borrow a horse to get the work done. This year I have 120 acres in, including 90 acres of wheat. I used 30 lbs. of seed to the acre and 30 lbs. of super. Then there are three or four acres of oats and two acres of mangel, sugar beet,turnips,swedes,silver beet, and various crops. I have five acres of rye and some wheat sown thick for grazing pigs. There is only 90 acres of wheat to harvest. I expect 10 bushels to the acre. This crop was ploughed, but it is all new land, and it carried a thick crop of suckers. I re ploughed it on account of the sucker I have had assistance from the Agricultural Department to the extent of £250, and my rents and interest have been paid by the Industries Assistance Board.

283. How do you propose to get rid of this year's crop?—There are the pigs to feed, and beyond that the mice and weevils will have to help me.I cannot borrow a horse to cart stuff by the road. I am sure I could make a living in the district if I had ordinary railway facilities, or even without a railway, if I had stock. Even so a man would have to cart his super at an exhorbitant rate. I account for the poor crops of the district in this way—(1) Cultivation is not sufficiently thorough. (2) Two or three successive dry seasons. (3) None of the settlers are in a position to use as much super as is really required. The Government supplied the super to most of us and cut it down to 56 lbs. They gave me only 13 cwt. for 120 acres. The reason advanced being the regulation that super was not to exceed that used in the preceding year as it was not desired to increase the area under cultivation until the Government could get wheat away. It pressed unfairly on me and others who had land ready whereas certain others who were cropping smaller areas than before had more super than they required. I do not think farmers would leave this district if offered farms in other districts. Certainly I would not. This district holds as much promise as any other district in the State. I say that with an intimate knowledge of the Narrogin district, of Burracoppin, and of Goomalling. Before being a land guide I was on a Government boring plant along the Great Southern.

284. By Mr. PADBURY: How do you intend to take your crop off?—I have made arrangements with another farmer. I am to pay him with pigs. Pigs or any other stock do very well in this district. Only mixed farming can be fully successful here. I have had a good deal of trouble in getting assistance from the Industries Assistance Board. We have been refused the assistance granted in other districts. My block is one mile from the railway survey. I find good grass springing up among the ring barked salmon gum, also in mallee land where the roots have been killed.

285. By Mr. McDONALD: What area of salmon gum country have you?—About 300 acres. There are no suckers in the salmon gum country. It takes three years ploughing to get rid of the mallee suckers. I intend to go in for stock when I can. The carrying capacity of the land would be small at first. It would be necessary to supplement natural grasses with crop feeding. This year has been the driest season since I have been here. It will pay to grow swedes for sheep but the cultivation will require improvement. I do not think the crops have been light on account of salt soil.

(The witness retired.) ————— LIONEL DIGHTON MACHEN, aged 29, Farmer, Circle Valley, married, no children, sworn and examined:

286. By the CHAIRMAN: What land do you hold in this district?—I have 1,000 acres Conditional Purchase, including 160 acres of homestead, Location 79. I took up the land in 1912. I have 150 acres under the plough and 65 acres in crop, 300 acres ring barked, a house and implement shed, a mile and a half of three wire fencing, and a dam of 600 yards,