32 



of which are economy of early charges and great elbow room. 

 Take the case of a piece of land which, 100 acres in extent, includes 

 a swamp or other exceptionally good garden or orchard block. 

 If the selector applies for the choicest few acres of this allotment, 

 say, from rive to twenty acres, he has to pay i per acre cash for 

 them, or as much as would (supposing 25 acres to be bought) pay 

 the conditional purchase rent of 2 los. per annum of 100 acres for 

 eight years, and at the same time the holder of the garden or 

 orchard lot would have little or no grazing land for his working 

 horses or family cow. Therefore, the case is plainly in favour of 

 applying for the TOO acres as a conditional purchase, even by the 

 intense cultivator who does not contemplate cropping nearly the 

 whole of that area. 



It surely is a great recommendation of the south-west that r 

 instead of the seller of produce having to seek out the purchaser, 

 in accordance with the customary law of trade, the farmer and 

 orchardist is canvassed by the agents of the city and goldfields 

 merchants, who desire to buy forward before the crop is off the 

 ground. This is especially the case in regard to potatoes, chaff, 

 and fruits in Bunbury and its environment, tor when these products 

 are to be had there, the quality is assured. The low railway 

 freights, too, are another incentive to put as much land as possible 

 under cultivation for what is held to be, at the present time, the 

 best market in the w r orld. The returns from land in good heart are 

 so liberal that we are told the most profitable course is to keep it 

 in that condition by using, every second year, a dressing of from 

 2 cwts. to 4 cwts. of bone dust per acre. Unless some fertiliser is 

 employed the light sandy soils exhaust themselves, and although 

 the alluvial river flats, swamps, and heavy loams could stand the 

 drain for many years, it is not regarded as good farming to over- 

 draw upon the resources of the ground. The most successful 

 growers started with manuring, have continued it, and have not 

 given their farms a chance to grow sickly crops. Every year the 

 area nuclei- vines and fruits is being added to, a^; the prolits 

 large- r from these products than from the raising of cereals ; and to 

 a man who takes a delight in having a charming and piciuresque 

 homestead, the care of a garden is more attractive than the ordinary 

 round of sowing and reaping, which leaves the eye only fallow 

 bubble to resi upon tor several months in the autumn and 

 early winter. The cultivation of mai/e, as well as vegetables, 

 sorghum, and lucerne, is strongly recommended by those wh > speak 

 with the greatest knowledge as to the capabilities of the district. 

 They bold that far too little has been done to utilise these sources 

 of laige profits and quick returns, which the heavy rainfall, the deep 

 Is, and the temperate climate combine in making a large portion of 

 the mo>t congenial output of local production. It is also found to pay 

 well to keep sheep in the cultivation paddocks after the harvest has 

 been garnered ; store sheep fatten rapidly, and there is always a good 



