roll with a heavy log roller during the latter part of the winter up to harvest time. If it is short or light mallee with undergrowth, T. iron flanges should be braced 9in. apart on the roller, the springbacks cut, and the land burned on the first hot windy day in February.

Cost of clearing: Ours, being light, cost 3s. to 4s. per acre.

Cultivation methods : For the first few years or until it is clear enough to work a share plough or a cultivator, a disc implement is used. Only use a disc when forced to.

Quantity of seed used : 40lbs. late good stooling wheat, 50lbs. mid-season, 60lbs. early varieties. Oats—Algerian and Calcutta—40lbs. Barley, 40 to 50lbs.

Quantity of super used : New burnt and, 56lbs.; as it gets older, increase to 80lbs., and to 100lbs. or more if it is desired to produce grass on the land earlier.

Average rainfall : Our rainfall (not including 1914 drought) was from 13in. to 21in., average 16in. to 17in.

Average wheat returns : Average for past two years has been 10 bushels.

Chief difficulties : It takes in a new country two or three years to properly get going. We experienced this, then five years dry seasons with a record drought. The last two years were too wet and we have no drainage. Hence it rotted the roots, and what promised to be a good crop up to the last was a semi-failure. Land that consists of the usual varied sandy loam, moderately undulating, and with an average rainfall of from 12 to 14 inches is reasonably workable, but there are many pitfalls to the inexperienced. The land should be given to the selector at the lowest price possible, with long easy terms and no payments for the first five years. By the time he fully develops his block—if he values his labour and sacrifices at a fair rate—it will have cost him the value of a good farm at normal times. "Takeall" is the biggest curse of the mallee farmer, but can be prevented if proper methods are adopted at the start, viz., sow 1½bushels brown oats with ½cwt. of super after the scrub burn. Cultivate, drill and harrow it in April ; you should then have a good stubble. Burn same first hot, good burning day in February. The oats are the best known preventive of " takeall," and give a much better burn than any other cereal straw. If the procedure of sowing a heavy crop of oats and burning them is followed in the first instance it will probably prevent the appearance of " takeall." Two or three years growth of " takeall " will nearly ruin a selector to eradicate it. In addition, a heavy burn after oats will clear the land of bushes in double quick time.

Varieties of wheat : I can advocate using for late varieties, Yandilla King, Marshall's No. 3, or Dart's; for mid-season, Budd's or Penny; for early, Gluyas or Golden Drop. Sow late wheat first and early wheat last.

General remarks : Do not work the land dry—it can be overworked. Rather have a few weeds than work it dry or out of season. Systematically tramp and pack when it is a little damp sandy loam soil all you can afford. Run sheep and cattle over the crops as much as possible, with prudence. Packing mallee land is one of the essentials to success. I find it wise to use late, mid-season and early wheat, which give a longer time for harvesting.

We are well supplied with water by bores 132 feet, a never-ending supply being found anywhere we like to sink. It is good water for stock and vegetables, or irrigation of lucerne. Peas and barley do well in this part. We feed the former off with stock. One bushel peas and half bushel of oats, cross-drilled, usually carry and fatten 10 to 12 sheep per acre. Cape and malting barley 25 to 30 bushels. I found grass seeds too expensive; although many showed fair promise, they are not to be thought of in early stages of mallee farming.

Conclusion : Sow oats first crop, and burn stubble early, thus preventing " takeall." In fact, do all burning early in February for scrub or any stubble. This is the only way to get the land cleared quickly. If possible, pack all land in crop by stocking. As methods have to be altered to suit the varied seasons, I humbly suggest that the best procurable practical man with experience be appointed as travelling general advisor to the settlers, which would save them and the Government thousands of pounds.

F. W. CAMERON, Merchant and Farmer, of South Terrace, Semaphore.

Location of holding : Hundred of Muloowurtie (sections 11 and 54), bounding the hundred of Curramulka.

Original cost of land : 7s. 6d. per acre.

Character of land : Flat mallee country; mallee known as pink top, from two inches to a foot in diameter, of rather brittle nature, and burns well when rolled. The soil is chocolate loam to dark red.

Area held : 700 acres.

Present value : With improvements, £9 per acre.

Sections 140, 142, and 143 : Taken from the Government later at 10s. per acre, area 1,370 acres.

Character of land : Undulating mallee and broom, limestone outcrop. The soil is heavy loam, changing to a sandy nature in places. The mallee ranges from low stunted to heavy. The present value of this holding, with improvements, is £3 per acre.

Method of clearing : Large timber is nicked, and the whole scrub rolled by an ordinary scrub roller; the cylinder of the roller should not be more than three feet in diameter. If more height than this is necessary to bend the scrub, it should be made up by heightening the frame, otherwise it will leave too many snags after the roll, which is a great inconvenience to implements when cultivating. Quite a chain should be thrown back right round the rolling, and ploughed and burned, to make a break. Great care should be taken to make the break thoroughly secure. Lighting should always be, if possible, with a north or land wind, starting about 10 a.m. When lighting the roll thrown back against the wind, continue to light right round the whole of the piece. Any blanks from the fire should be followed up and relighted. This is the only way in which to secure a good burn, which is most essential to good results. The ploughs should be put into the land as soon as possible after the fire, to stop ashes drifting.

Cost of clearing : Rolling, cutting springbacks, preparing break, burning, clearing up after fire, cutting snags, costs £1 per acre; this price may vary according to the nature of the country.

Quantity of seed per acre : Use nothing less than a bushel, and 1cwt. of manure (super).

Average rainfall for last 30 years : 18 inches 52 points; lowest rainfall ever recorded, 13 inches 25 points.

Average wheat returns : For the last five years for the district, 12 bushels. There is some very poor farming done in this district by farmers who seem to have neither means nor strength, which brings the average down.

General remarks as to cultivation : Fallow seems the only sure way of good results after the first crop. The fallow should be ploughed not more than 2½ to 3 inches, and continually worked, not failing to use the harrows to keep the weeds down, and the top fine and moist. The land always gives better results when the seed is sown after rain. Always avoid, if possible, sowing dry. The best time for sowing in this district is the last fortnight in May, and the first fortnight in June.

Water conservation and supply : The usual dams and tanks, and an occasional well and bore, exist here and there. The Government also provided dams for the settlers and reserved wells where possible.

Chief difficulties : Feed, water and want of capital. Most inexperienced people come on the land with far too weak a plant, and not sufficient capital to carry them over the first few years. It must be remembered that on new country everything has to be carted, and in some cases long distances over bad roads. This is not only a great loss of time, but very often pulls the stock to pieces before supplies can be grown sufficient to provide for the stock.

Experiments with seed : After 25 years' experience with different seed, I am quite satisfied that Federation, Gluyas, Marshall's No. 3, Yandilla King, and Carmichael's Eclipse are five of the best wheats suitable for mallee country, picking out Marshall's No. 3 and Yandilla King as the best rust-proof among them.

Barley: To my mind there is only one class that does any good on mallee country, and that is Prior's malting. It would be well to mention here that barley grown inland does not mature satisfactorily on an average.

Oats: Oats are one of the most important things to mallee country as a preventive of take-all, and are usually grown on stubble, as any self-grown wheat does not affect them to a very great extent for feed purposes.