It is further pointed Out that while at present prices for all kinds 

 of produce are remunerative, these rates are likely to be maintained. 



The population of the colony is rapidly increasing, and, so far, the 

 farmers have not attempted to grow wheat, because of the high 

 price and strong demand for chopped hay known in the colony as 

 chaff which is used as fodder. When enough fodder is produced 

 the wheat market will still have to be supplied. Just now most of 

 the flour mills in the country districts are shut down because wheat 

 cannot be had. This season wheat lias brought hs. per bushel, and 

 chaff {-'7 per ton. At the time of writing, owing to the drought in 

 the eastern colonies limiting their export of fodder, chaff is selling 

 at 8 per ton, delivered at the railway stations. The demand has 

 been so brisk that buyers' travellers have, during the past three 

 seasons, been canvassing the York district for supplies for the 

 produce trade of the goldrields, and of Perth and Fremantle. It has 

 been found that wheaten hay pays better, in this district, than oaten. 

 While the taking up of land, unless the selector has some money to 

 commence fencing and clearing, is deprecated in ordinary circum- 

 stances, the loan obtainable from the Land bank of the state is deemed 

 to be a compensation for this drawback, provided that the borrower is 

 the right man in the right place. There is opportunity for a much 

 larger scope of work than that which is now being done. Every year 

 large numbers of the most improved implements are being used as 

 a means of developing the agricultural resources of the district. 



A warning is given against exhausting the land by cropping it 

 even* year without manure. This is a shortsighted policy which 

 means poor harvests and false economy. Even what have been 

 the best forest lands should be enriched the first year after they are 

 cleared, and every season afterwards, unless a dressing of bone dust 

 is very liberally applied, when the ground will be good for two 

 years. The lighter soils, lighter in color and in quality, should be 

 fertilised still more heavily with guano, bonedust, or phosphates. 

 Nothing is better than stable manure, but it is not obtainable in 

 sufficiently large quantities for big fields. Keep the land in good 

 heart and it will keep gold in your pocket, is the maxim of the best 

 farmers of York, and there are none better in Western Australia, 

 nor any who c:op a larger acreage. Many of them rest their land 

 every alternate year and use it while it is out of cultivation for 

 grazing. Under proper treatment the fields show no signs of 

 exhaustion, although some of them were cleared and cultivated by 

 the fathers of the men who are still turning them to good account. 

 If a comparison is made of the value of improved lands and of the 

 cost of clearing them, it will be seen that there is a substantial 

 balance in favor of the settler. Let us give an example. The 

 selector, taking up say some of the forest lands that will be tapped 

 by the Greenhills line, has to pay only los. per acre in payments of 

 sixpence per acre extending over 20 years, to entitle him to the 

 Crown grant, subject to the fulfilment of the improvement 



