lo March, 191:!.] Beet Sugar Industry. 143 



Beet Growing and Dairying at Boisdale. 

 lo order to provide that beet-root growing should lie made part and 

 parcel of the scheme of Closer Settlement at Boisdale the following clause 

 ^vas inserted in the terms and conditions of purcha^je : — 



For a period of at least ten rears, unless remission is given bv 

 the Agricultural Department, a minimum area of 10 acres shall 

 be utilized for beet culture each }ear, the cultivation of the crop 

 to be carried out to the satisfaction of the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment. A system of three-course rotation to be followed {i.e., the 

 10 acres under beet in any year shall not be put under beet again 

 until the third year following) unless remission of this condition 

 be approved by the Agricultural Department, and the whole result- 

 ing crop of manufacturable beet shall be supplied to the Maffra 

 Factory, which will pay for same at a rate per ton of topped 

 clean roots delivered at the factory, such rate to be determined by 

 the Factory Manager from year to year during the ten years or 

 until this condition is remitted, which may be done at any time by 

 the Board. At the present time ^i per ton is being paid for beet 

 roots. 



A boisdale beet and dairy homestead. 



As the blocks were only taken up between August and October, it 

 v/as necessary for the Department to at once prepare the 10 acres of 

 ground upon each settler's block so that beet-growing could be immedi- 

 ately put in hand for the present campaign. Accordingly the land was 

 ploughed, rolled, harrowed, and seeded, in most cases in advance of 

 settlement, each successful applicant taking over his beet plot upon 

 arrival. Owing to the fact that the Government did not obtain posses- 

 sion of the land imtil late in the year, no autumn fallowing, which is very 

 advisable, could be carried out. but omitting this, the land generally was 

 put into as good a condition for seeding as the circum.stances would per- 

 mit. For next season, however, the whole of the preliminary cultiva- 

 tion for beet-root should be properly carried out. While the beet crops 

 throughout the District are upon the lighter side this year, partly on 

 iiccount that sowing was a little late and partly owing to the season, it 

 is evident that given right treatment the Boisdale soils can be made to 



