If they could get their potatoes at a fair price. The merchants are the trouble; they are making an undue profit. This, and the fact that the Eastern States can send potatoes in here at a lower price, makes growing practically unprofitable. I must say that growers here plant unwisely. They do not study the market conditions and very often plant large areas than their means really permit.

10642. By Mr. VENN: It has been suggested that the State should establish pure seed farms; do you favour this?—I consider that it would be a very good idea. Something certainly requires to be done in this direction. Where potatoes can be grown under supervision by the Government we do not mind paying a bit more. I got very fair returns from cut seed in my swamp country. I found they are better than the round seed. I plant the cut tubers about 4in. deep. They beat round seed in the yield and mature a fortnight earlier. Care must be taken that they are not planted too deep. The ground needs to be wet, so that the potatoes will shoot quickly. The best results were obtained by carting them on to the ground and planting them immediately, that is while the wound is new. The cutting, of course, must be done in the shade. The greatest factor, however, in the cultivation of potatoes is using judgement in the matter of manuring. A lot of people use chemical manures that take everything out of the ground. The bag question is also a serious one at the present time and I do not agree with the use of only new bags. I consider that bran and wheat bags are quite good enough for potatoes. New bags are unnecessary and wasteful. On the other hand, second-hand potato bags would certainly carry disease but they could be used with safety after dipping.

(The witness retired.)

ABRAHAM HURST, Farmer and Orchardist, Boyanup, sworn and examined:

10643. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been 14 years in the district. I was sleeper cutting before then in Boyanup. I hold 600 acres ; of this 380 acres is freehold and the balance C.P., bought at 10s. per acre. It is two miles from the railway station, all fenced, and 150 acres cleared. All of the cleared land has been under the plough. I have a five-roomed house, stables, and sheds, and the necessary plant for working the land. I also have five horses, 20 head of cattle, and 90 sheep. I have 15 acres under intense culture, 14 acres of which is orchard. I started with 50s. capital. I have had to borrow from the National Bank at Bunbury. I find I can get all the money I want from the bank. I consider that is a man has 500 acres of even fair quality land he will be able to get on.

10644. To Mr. VENN: I consider that fruit growing would pay if we were able to get a fair price for it. For instance, here are some of my account sales. You will see that I sent away 15 cases of peaches, which realised 5s. per case, from one firm, while from another, marketed on the same day, I obtained 12s. 6d. per case. The next lot I sent away was eight cases and half a case of apricots. These realised £1 12s. 3d., while another eight cases sent to another firm and taken out of the same lot, realised £3 1. 2d. This, I consider, is due to the fact that the markets are scattered all over the city. If the markets were all under one roof I believe it would be far more satisfactory.

10645. By Mr. VENN: Have you tried artificial grasses?—Yes. Subterranean clover has done very well with me. I have 100 acres of this in. I might say that it was growing here long before the departmental experts talked about it. I planted this ten years ago. I consider this is the best fodder that you can grow for this district, together with paspalum. I milk eight or nine cows. I think that more people should go in for dairying in this district. It pays as well as sheep. I am getting 1s. 5d. a pound for my butter fat, though if it dropped any lower than this I should drop dairying. It is the high price that has been obtaining that has induced people to go in for the industry.

10646. What is your opinion of the district generally?—I consider the settlers in the Boyanup district have really good prospects, and taking it all round they are prosperous. Of course they are a good class of farmer. I would strongly advocate that encouragement be given to the cultivation of subterranean clover. It is really better as a dry feed than green. The cows milk well on it. I am selling seed from 13-acre paddock that I have near my house. Really we have no complaint here except the bad market for fruit. There is one other matter; I think it should be possible to get a check test on the cream sent to the factory, with regard to both Bunbury and Busselton. They give you a very good return for a while, and then suddenly the returns drop. The fluctuations are remarkable. You can send one can to one factory and another to another, and you get different returns.

(The witness retired.)

WILLIAM HURST, Butcher and Farmer, Boyanup, Sworn and examined:

10647. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been 20 years on the land in this district. I have 1,300 acres. Of this 500 acres is freehold and the balance conditional purchase. It is from a mile and a-half to seven miles from the railway station. It is all fenced, 175 acres cleared, all of which has been under the plough. I have good buildings and sheds and a comfortable homestead, together with the necessary plant for working in land. I also have eight horses, about 25 head of cattle, 300 sheep and a few pigs. I had no capital when I started ; have not borrowed any money, and am now free of debt.

10648. To Mr. VENN: I get all the supplies for my butchery from the district and find the stock produced very good. The farmers, generally speaking, in this district are doing well. The district is a solid one though there is not much chance of it extending until some of the big estates are re-purchased. There is no good Government land in the locality; what is left is all banksia sandplain. A more efficient drainage scheme from here to Capel would improve this country very much. For four months of the year 700 acres of my land is under water. There is no way for carrying it off. In regard to the roads in the district they are very bad. It would be a great help if we could get some money spent on them. I think that the Government should revert to the pound for pound subsidy. By putting