lo March, 1912.] Beet Sugar Industry. 153 



dairying land, and finally to extensive areas of river flats, highly suitable 

 for dairying and beet growing. 



Tliere is a good supply of timber on the estate for fencing and firewood 

 purposes. Water is obtainable at easy depths on tlie lower land by sinking, 

 and good catchments exist on the higher slopes. 



The area has been subdivided in such a way as to meet the requirements 

 of practically all kinds of farming. Some of the blocks range up to 270 

 and 280 acres of a lighter class of land suitable for cereal growing, and 

 grazing, at values from below ^10 to ^6 los. per acre. Then there are 

 mixed farming blocks of somewhat small area, and finally the blocks 

 carrying beet-growing conditions similar to those imposed in the case of 

 the Boisdale settlement previously described. There are 56 beet blocks 

 available^ varying in size from 20 acres to 195 acres. On the larger 

 areas 10 acres of beet are to be grown annually, and 4 acres on the smaller 

 areas, which are intended as small farm homes for workmen on the estate. 

 On the majority of the blocks, however, it is contemplated that settlers 

 will combine beet-growing with dairying, for which latter there is, in every 

 case, a suflficiency of land, exclusive of the beet area, and they will be 

 able to follow the plan which has been so successfully adopted in con- 

 nexion with the Boisdale Estate. The fact that some of the lighter 

 land on the estate is relieved of the beet-growing conditions is an indica- 

 tion of the desire of the Government that only land that is fully suitable 

 for beet-growing, and on which profitable crops of beet may be grown, 

 should have the beet-growing conditions attached. 



In the acquirement of these blocks, the transaction, so far as the pur- 

 cha.se of the land is concerned, will be with the Closer Settlement Board, 

 it being a requirement that the deposit and subsequent instalments be paid 

 by the settler without assistance from the Government. It is probable, 

 however, that, in order to more quickly establish the industry and provide 

 an acreage of beet up to the maximum capacity of the factory, the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture will be authorized, as in the case of Boisdale, to make 

 advances to desirable and suitable settlers of a sufificiency of money to 

 purchase stock and implements adequate to the running of the dairy 

 portion of the farm, to the extent of making a living in the interval 

 between the acquirement of the land and the harvesting of the first beet 

 crop. The repayment of all such loans will be secured by a lien on the 

 stock so purchased and on the resulting crop of beet ; but repayment may 

 not, in all cases, be insisted on after the first harvest. 



BOISDALE BEET SIDING AND STATION. 



