52 



conditions. The cost of clearing the most heavily timbered of this 

 land will be ^"5 per acre. When cleared the land will yield a ton 

 of hay per acre, which during the last three years has been worth 

 6 or j per ton, while the cost of putting in and taking off the 

 crop and chaffing it, with bags included, does not exceed 2 per 

 acre. Next year there will be no clearing to pay for. Compare 

 these figures with the balance-sheet of the agriculturist in other 

 parts of the world. 



The drawbacks of the York district which weigh against the 

 advantages of soil and situation lying, as it does, between two 

 markets are a comparatively light rainfall, and in the long dry 

 summers which prevail, some scarcity of water ; also the presence 

 of poison plants which render it necessary to take precautions 

 against danger to stock. As regards the rainfall, although the 

 district would be a still better one if it were not so dry and had 

 more than one river intersecting it, disastrous drought is unknown 

 at York. The rainfall, albeit the average is several inches short of 

 what could be desired, is well maintained, and the farmers being 

 familiar with local meteorological conditions, adapt their operations 

 and utilise them to the best advantage. They plough early, and not a 

 shower is allowed to go to waste. The friable nature of most of 

 the soil of the best wheat areas produces a fine tilth which is 

 favorable to the retention of moisture. There are some very stiff 

 soils to be found, notably blue or grey clayey lands, but these are in 

 such a very small proportion as to be only an exception to the rule. 

 The fact that the government returns show an average of n 

 bushels of wheat to the acre may be taken as satisfactory evidence 

 that the district is well suited for the requirements of the agricul- 

 turist. 



The pastoralist, and the farmer who keeps stock, have two 

 resources against losing their cattle and sheep by poison plants 

 which, to use the common names, may be described as box, York 

 road, and berry poison. It is necessary to fence out the poison, 

 or to employ a shepherd or herdsman to keep the stock away from 

 the deadly shrubs which grow on all kinds of land, but chiefly on 

 white gum forests and on sand plains. In spite of all watchfulness, 

 however, some losses are experienced. The poison plants are 

 most deadly after country has been burned and the tender shoots 

 are sprouting or during the season of blossoming. The poison 

 areas have been made the subject of special legislation, under the 

 provisions of which the Crown grant of infested land is obtainable 

 when it has been cleared of the hurtful vegetation and been proved 

 to be fit to carry stock. If the poison leasehold is fenced within three 

 years, the- lessee is granted iS years longer to get rid of the poison. 

 A great deal of land is held under the Act, but it remains to be seen 

 how much of it will be declared free of poison when the term of 

 the lease expires. West of the Avon, at Helena Vale, poison 

 shrubs grow freely. Hast of York these pests are far less common. 



