SATURDAY, 4th NOVEMBER, 1916. (At Scaddan.)

Present: Charles Edward Dempster, Esq. (Chairman), Matthew Thomas Padbury, Esq, Ranald McDonald, Esq.

JOHN CARL BRETAG, aged 32, Farmer, Scaddan, married, one daughter aged 5 years—sworn and examined:

430. BY the CHAIRMAN: What land do you hold in the district?—One thousand acres conditional purchase including 160 acres homestead. The number of my block is 442. I took up the land in 1910.

431. had you any experience in farming before you came to this State?—I had considerable mallee farming experience in the Wimmera mallee, Victoria. I have been in Western Australia 12 years. Before taking up land I was employed in the Government railways. for the first 18 years of my life I was on my father's farm.

432. What improvements have you effected on your holding?—I have about 2 miles of skeleton fence, some of it barbed and some plain, with posts half a chain apart; one mile of two wire fence prepared for netting; one mile of one-barbed wire fence, posts one chain apart; hessian and galvanised iron house and sheds; a dam of 150 yards which, when sunk in 1910, was 5ft. 6in. deep and which has never been empty. I have also 300 acres cleared, 110 acres in crop and 60 acres of fallow. The crop only looks fair at present. It has some disease, which I term mildew, in the Federation. It looks to be getting over that. I expect it to yield about eight bushels. I have some oats in this year as well as about 30 acres of mixed oats and wheat for hay and seven acres of oats alone. The balance of my crop is wheat. I fallowed the land and last year used a bushel of wheat to the acre, but got the best results by using only 35lbs. I have only used 60lbs. super. but 1cwt. would not be too much if we had cheaper transport facilities. I have two cows and a bull calf, no sheep, seven horses (five geldings and two mares). I usually feed the horses all the year but this year I have been running them on the crop. They are running in a grass paddock and have been for the last three months.

433. Did you have any money for farming material when you started?—I had £300, two horses and a spring dray. I am not satisfied with my present prospects of a return for my outlay under existing conditions; that is, until we receive railway communication. I have had no assistance whatever from the Agricultural Bank but from the Agricultural Department I received seed and super. for two years, as well as two years' rent and interest, which I consider should not have been paid. I think we should have exemption from rent until railway facilities are provided. I also had money from the Agricultural Department for the clearing of the first 200 acres. I was allowed 10s. an acre less 25 per cent., which was withheld.

434. What has been you average crop each year since you have been farming?—Taking an average, about seven bushel of wheat and half a ton of hay per acre. I think the present is my sixth crop but the first year I had no crop as I used no super. I have had up to 22 cwt. per acre of hay. That was during the second season. The land was double ploughed but only had one application of super. I do not consider that my land has been properly ploughed and cultivated each year but I consider we would have better results, especially in light ground, if we could use a T-bar roller. I have a drill, spring-tooth cultivator, stripper, four-furrow stump-jump mouldboard plough, although I consider the disc a better implement to deal with the sucker. In addition I have a chaffcutter and horseworks and a dray. I purchased the machinery on time payment and only one instalment is now owing. None of it was bought from the State.

435. What condition is your clearing in now?—I have 200 acres I consider I can leave now to go to grass and keep it under. The other 100 acres I am battling with. It is fairly free from suckers. Grasses are coming on very well and consist of silver, spear, and barley grass, and one known as Gollan's Delight, a very good stooler. There is also a shivery grass, but different from that which grows in Victoria. There are also wild oats. I have eight head of stock now running on 40 acres of grass which have kept them for the last three months. As I mentioned before, I tried 60lbs. of wheat to the acre last year, which was a very good one, but my return was disappointing. What might have gone against it was rust. I had mildew in the crop last year. This does not affect the stem always, although we got it last year, and the crop which I thought would give 10 bushels last year only went half that. The same with the hay.

436. You fell it does not matter getting a good crop because you have not railway facilities?—That is so. We have no market in which to dispose of it. Practically the only thing we are growing it for is the stock at present. In regard to the use of the T-bar roller, I have come to the conclusion I have been ploughing deeper than necessary and think that the roller would give me e mulch on the surface. I think we would have had far better results had we been in a position to use two or three times the amount of super. we have, but on account of the cost of carting we cannot afford to use a big quantity. I am satisfied crops can be grown as well as in other districts if we could work the ground suitably. Mine is all mallee