6 THE FARMERS HANDBOOK. 



alluvial flats, but only in limited quantity. All kinds of fruit grow well 

 throughout the district, and especially about Grenfell and Forbes, and 

 generally in the more eastern part of the district. The river country is 

 extremely well adapted for irrigation, and the further development of this 

 district depends largely on the closer settlement of these rich lands, which 

 are capable of carrying a big farming population. 



The principal timbers are pine, white box, yellow box, red gum, ironbark, 

 kurrajong, myall, belar, wilga, and yarran. In the western part there are 

 fairly large areas of mallee country. 



The grasses in general are of a good fattening nature — corkscrew, silver 

 grass, blue grass, panic and umbrella being the principal summer grasses, with 

 barley and other grasses in the winter. Crowfoot, trefoil, clover, &c, are 

 also fairly abundant. Generally the country is good, sound pastoral country. 



The greater part of the district has been improved by ringbarking and 

 scrubbing, the present cost of which, exclusive of suckering, would be Is. to 

 3s. 6d. per acre. 



To clear dead timber for the plough costs from 10s. up to 30s. per acre, 

 according to the density and nature of the timber. 



Yankee grubbing is extensively adopted, and costs from 5s. to 17s. 6d. 

 per acre, according to the density and nature of the timber. 



To clear green timber for the plough the cost varies from £2 up to £5 per 

 acre. In the case of mallee scrub this can be rolled down at a cost of about 

 15s. per acre, and then burnt off. 



The supply of timber suitable for fencing is still fairly good in most parts, 

 though it is diminishing, especially in the eastern part of the district. For 

 posts, ironbark, white and yellow box, pine, red gum, and yarran are the best 

 timbers. Pine, yarran, red gum, and ironbark are said to be immune from 

 the attacks of white ant, which is plentiful over the greater part of the 

 district. The best fence for all kinds of stock is said to be one made of split 

 posts 8" x 4" or 10" x 3", 22 inches in the ground, with five wires and one barbed 

 wire on top ; the height of the top wire should be about 3 feet 7 inches from 

 the ground. The cost for such a fence would be about £52 per mile. For 

 sheep the fence may be lower and the posts further apart. 



Other estimates for sheep fencing vary from £38 up to £52 per mile. 



Rabbit-proof fencing costs from £90 to £135 per mile. 



The Lachlan River contains permanent water, and on most of the river 

 country good water can be obtained from wells, at depths up to about 40 feet. 

 A number of bores have been put down to tap the sub-artesian supply, with 

 varying success ; in some instances the water has been found too brackish 

 for general use. In the eastern part of the district there are occasional springs, 

 but speaking generally, and excluding the country with river frontage, tanks, 

 and in some cases, dams, are relied upon for water supply. 



Nearly all over the district there is good holding ground for tanks, and 

 sinking is fairly easy. 



For excavating tanks the cost varies from lOd. to Is. 4d. per cubic yard ; 

 the average cost in good seasons would be about Is. per cubic yard. 



The district is well served by railways. Access by road is generally good, 

 except during wet weather and a few days thereafter ; where the roads are 

 unformed, and more especially on the river country, they become very heavy. 

 The roads generally are level or of easy gradients ; a fair amount of formation 

 has been effected on the main roads and near the towns. 



