49 



in suitable areas, if a supply is to be maintained. It grows most 

 freely on barren soils, and is not gregarious. 



Two other species of ccalypts, the flooded gum and the manna 

 gum, are rare in the York district. The Hooded gum is what is 

 known as red gum in the other colonies. It only grows in wet 

 situations, or along what have been watercourses. The wood is red, 

 and, like the jarrah, is not decayed by water. What the York 

 people call the manna gum is not to be found in the classification by 

 the Conservator of the forest trees of Western Australia. Locally 

 the manna gum patches are regarded as highly productive when 

 placed under crop. 



It will have been noted that only forest areas have been spoken 

 of as being lit for cultivation, and, therefore, clearing is the first work 

 of the settler. The cost of clearing is much lightened by ring- 

 barking and burning off when the trees are dead, but in order to get 

 a ready return a paddock has to be grubbed while the trees are 

 green. While the crop is growing, the timber of the remainder of 

 the holding, except a few trees reserved for shade, are ringbarked to 

 hasten the work of their removal in subsequent seasons. Besides, 

 ringing brings up the grass for the feeding of stock, so that mixed 

 farming of the most profitable kind may be carried on. The jam 

 tree is not injurious to pasture, and after this growth has been 

 cleared sheep will feed down the shoots of jam and keep the 

 cultivable ground clean. The destruction of the timber is also 

 necessary in order to increase the water supply, which is not very 

 abundant east of the river Avon. Returns obtained from all parts 

 of the colony are unanimous in declaring that ringbarking should 

 be done immediately ground is taken up, to obtain the three 

 advantages of sweetening the soil, getting grass and obtaining water. 



The average rainfall in the York district is 15 inches, which 

 nearly all falls between April and September. The most has to be 

 made of this inconsiderable supply by early sowing, and for the 

 filling of tanks and dams. In preparing a dam, sheep are often 

 driven into it to puddle the clay and make it watertight In a dry 

 season stock have, on some holdings, to be travelled some distance 

 to water. In going further east the rainfall gradually diminishes. 

 There is good summer feed among the edible scrub after the grasses 

 have been fed down. In spite of the drawback of a light rainfall 

 nearly all the farmers fatten a few sheep, and there are large sheep 

 runs within a few miles of York. Cattle are not largely kept. Horse- 

 breeding receives some attention. The frontages to the Avon were 

 alienated many years ago, but the owners- of them, nevertheless, 

 allow the public free access to the water. It is admitted that a 

 larger rainfall would be of incalculable advantage to a people who 

 are on the highway to the goldfields, which furnish an excellent 

 market for all they can produce. 



For fruit-growing York is well adapted, both in regard to soil 

 and climate, although there are no local orchards on a large scale, 



