is always best. Even in the drought year (1914) the fallowed land returned enough hay for he stock and seed to sow again, although I had only a little fallowed that year, while the unfallowed land was never stripped. I have never known fallowed land in this district to be a failure when harvest time came. I always fallow as much as I can on this place and endeavour to induce others to do the same.

Seed wheats : Early maturing wheats do best as a rule. Gluyas is the safest of all. Others used are Red Russian (good), Silver Bart, and Yandilla King. The latter wheats do well, but as this is a very dry part of the State early varieties are safer.

Quantity of seed used : 45lbs. per acre.

Quantity of super used : About 50lbs. per acre.

Water: We have water laid on now from the River Murray, but before that our hardships and difficulties were great. My chief method was to get 6,000-gallon galvanised iron tanks and let them into the ground at any place where the water would run. I found this the cheapest method, and after I got a good many, was never out of water.

Crop returns : The year 1914 was a failure except on a small portion of fallowed ground which returned enough hay and seed for the farm; 1915 about 15 bushels; 1916 about 20 bushels.

General remarks : Water conservation is the first essential. Never clear more land than can be dealt with, and when once it is cut down of rolled, keep at it and do not let the mallee grow up again. Always remember, if you do not kill the bushes they will soon kill you. Conserve all the horse feed possible, so as to be in a position to burn anything and everything that will burn. Never keep more stock than is necessary, as you will be tempted not to burn. Sow oats on wheat stubble as oat stubble will generally burn and so clear the land.

JOWL LOWE, farmer, of Murat Bay, Hundred of Wandana.

Original cost of land : 5s. per acre.

Description of land : Heavy scrub timber.

Area held : 1,060 acres.

Present value : I purchased 320 acres of my neighbour's land for 30s. per acre, and 700 acres of the best improved part of the same farm, freehold, has no buyer at the same price.

Methods of clearing : Scrub cut down with the axe about three inches above the ground.

Cost of clearing : From 6s. 6d. to 13s. per acre, according to supply of labour, but at present time cannot get scrub cleared at any price.

Cultivation methods : From 1893 to 1905 the method adopted in this part was to broadcast the seed, about half a bushel to the acre, and plough it in without any other labour than stump picking. Since 1905 we have usually ploughed the land, picked the stumps and roots and drilled from 50 to 60lbs. of wheat and from 35 to 60lbs. of super to the acre.

Average rainfall : My average for the last seven years has been about 11½ inches.

Average wheat returns :

Year. — Acreage cultivated. — Yield in bags.

1895 — 60 — 205 (4-bush. bags)

1896 — 112 — 115

1897 — 120 — 68

1898 — 230 — 310

1899 — 290 — 423

1900 — 290 — 810

1901 — 320 — 840

1902 — 335 — 417

1903 — 600 — 700

1904 — 580 — 500

1905 — 570 — 1,100

1906 — 600 — 800

1907 — 610 — 1,200

1908 — 650 — 2,300 (3-bush. bags)

1909 — 600 — 2,000

1910 — 600 — 2,000

1911 — 560 — 1,700

1912 — 620 — 1,100

1913 — 600 — 800

1914 — 617 — • •

1915 — 615 — 1,030

1916 — 700 — 3,430

General remarks : Sandy land requires very little cultivation other than ploughing just deep enough to kill the weeks; but never drill wheat into damp ground except about the time when the first winter rains may be expected. The seed becomes mouldy if allowed to lie too long in damp ground before it springs. The only water supply we have is from masonry tanks, and catchments from any hard track. The chief difficulty of the mallee farmer is not being able to get enough land under cultivation during the first five or six years. In this district a farmer has to cultivate 500 or 600 acres with one team of say eight horses to make any progress. The only farmers who were able to finance themselves during the 1914 drought were those who cropped 500 or 600 acres with one team. A man who has to keep a team of eight horses idle while he is busy filling in taxation forms is likely to want State help when the first drought comes along.

WILLIAM GEORGE LEWIS, J.P., at present farming with sons, but by profession an engineer, of Carawa, West Coast.

Original cost of land : 5s. per acre, but generally taken on perpetual lease or lease with covenant to purchase.

Description of land : Sandy loam, more or less clay in various parts.

Area held : 3,712 acres.

Present value : Fluctuating but about 10s. per acre, not including improvements.

Methods of cultivation, etc.: Scrub land generally cleared by axe, which costs at present time 10s. to 12s. per acre. This price does not include burning. I have successfully rolled with a roller made from a locomotive boiler barrel a fairly large area (300 acres) last year, which cost with all charges 6s. per acre. After burning, the land is ploughed once to a depth of about four inches and then seeded with a disc drill. After the first ploughing I am using a light disc plough with advantage.

Quantity of seed used : From 45 to 60 lbs. per acre, generally.

Quantity of super used : From 45 to 60 lbs. per acre.

Average rainfall : 14 inches.

Average wheat returns : the first few years, as an average, would be misleading as were have passed through the worst drought ever experienced. The last year's average, however, varied somewhat in this district; for instance, new land, first crop after clearing and burning, averaged five bags per acre; stubble land not ploughed but simply drilled in averaged four bags per acre. Fallow land yielded generally about seven bags.

Water conservation : Very poor as far as the Government is concerned, although some improvement is manifest by the construction of underground tanks of from 200,000 to 500,000 gallons capacity from which farmers can cart. The supply from such tanks is mostly used by farmers when travelling with teams, or to cart from when home supplies are exhausted. In the majority of cases farmers try to conserve sufficient water by building underground tanks.

General remarks : The difficulties to be contended with by mallee farmers are innumerable. The water supply is the greatest, and before anything can be accomplished provision must be made to obtain such. At the initial stage it is necessary at once to erect as much iron roofing as the farmer can afford, and provide a few iron tanks so as to catch even the dew that falls. After this, between his labours of clearing, burning, etc., he must go on constructing underground tanks at any favourable spot where a surface run for water may be obtained. The other difficulties, such as having to cart water from a tank 10 miles distant, can be overcome by a man with only a limited amount of capital but plenty of resolution, in the course of a few years; but unless he is prepared to battle and to forego many of the comforts of civilisation he should not take a scrub block.

JAMES R. BECK, J.P., farmer, of Wynarka.

Situation of land : Wynarka is in the Hundred of Hooper, about 20 miles north-east of Tailem Bend.

Original cost of land : the land was originally valued at 12s. 6d. per acre but was afterwards reduced to 7s. 6d.

Description of land : Mostly of sandy rises with flats of heavier soil. There is a fair amount of lime-