16 THE FARMERS' HANDBOOK. 



To clear the land for the plough costs, according to the nature of the 

 timber, from £5 to £15 per acre. In heavily-timbered country it may go a* 

 high as £30 per acre When heavy, the value of the timber will often partly 

 repay the cost of clearing. Fencing material is abundant. For posts, the 

 woods most in favour are ironbark, bloodwood, white mahogany, box, turpen- 

 tine, and grey and red gums. For rails, stringybark, ironbark, blackwood,. 

 tallow-wood, and flooded gum. White ant is prevalent in the district. 

 Turpentine timber is partially immune from its attacks. 



The cost of a post and 2-rail fence — 640 posts to the mile — is from £64 

 to £96 per mile. 



Cattle fence — 4-wire (No. 8), with 480 posts to the mile — from £40 to- 

 £60 per mile. 



Sheep-proof fence — -7-wire (No. 8), with 480 posts to the mile with- 

 droppers — from £48 to £70 per mile. 



Rabbit-proof fence — 6-wire (No. 8) with netting, 480 posts to the mile, 

 and droppers — £120 to £160 per mile. Rabbits are plentiful in the 

 western parts of the district. 



The cost of excavating dams is from Is. to 2s. per yard, the latter price 

 being for deeper dams. For wells, including timbering, the cost is about £1 

 per foot, the price varying according to the depth. 



It is not easy to speak of the nature of transport as the country varies so- 

 very much. In the Maitland, Muswellbrook, and Taree districts the roads 

 are generally good, but soft and rough off the main tracks, and steep, but 

 hard, at the heads of rivers. Towards the coast they are good but hilly. 

 On the whole, the roads are fairly hard and good. Most of the available 

 land suitable for occupation in the district is alienated. 



Moree Land Board District. 



Includes Moree, Warialda, Bingara, Narrabri, Pilliga. Wee Waa, Carindn, Walgett r 



Boggabilla and Mungundi. 



Very little farming is done in this district, which is at present almost 

 entirely devoted to sheep-breeding. The railway communication is the line 

 from Narrabri to Burren Junction, with branches, thence to Walgett and 

 Collarendebri ; and the main line from Sydney via Narrabri, through to- 

 Moree with branches, thence to Inverell and Mungindi. 



The rainfall varies in different parts of the district, the western portion 

 being the driest with an average annual rainfall of about 18 inches, whilst in 

 the eastern (Warialda) district it is about 29 inches. Most of the rain falls- 

 during the summer months, January to March. 



The temperature is fairly constant over the district, the mean for the year 

 being about 63 deg. Fah.,with a mean temperature in summer of SO degrees,, 

 and in winter of about 52 deg. Fah. 



From these figures it will be seen that the climate is hot in summer and 

 mild in winter. Generally speaking it is hot and dry, but healthy both for 

 human beings and stock. In the more elevated regions about Warialda and 

 Bingara the nights are almost always cool. 



The Warialda district includes flat country and rolling downs to hilly. 

 The hilly country lies chiefly in the eastern portion of the district, and is 

 principally basalt. In the centre are undulating downs merging into black 

 soil plains in the west of the district. In the plain country are numerous 

 sandy ridges where the soil is not so good, but for the most part the soil on 

 the plains is first-class, and carries heavy belts of belar and brigalow. 



