6i 



the man who is making a home upon the soil, and also for admitting 

 all machinery free at the Customs house. 



The only agricultural area that, at the time of writing, is open 

 in the York district, is that at Caljie, containing 12,500 acres, which 

 have been available since December, 1892. The south-west corner 

 of the Caljie area is only about five miles from York. Most of the 

 land is li^ht, sandy, and inferior, and should be taken up in blocks 

 of not less than 1,000 acres, as the larger proportion of it is only fit 

 for grazing. It would cost about 3 per acre to clear the land. 



Xo\v that the Greenhills line is about to be made, an agricultural 

 area is being surveyed beyond the terminus of the line which will tap 

 a large tract of fertile country. No heavier crops are grown in the 

 colony than those at Greenhills, and settlement beyond Greenhills 

 has hitherto only been retarded by the long distance that produce 

 .would have had to be carted to York, the nearest railway station. 

 The line will start about six miles south of York, and will be about 

 18 miles long. Tenders for its construction are now (June, 1897) 

 being called for, and it is hoped that the rails will be laid in time to 

 carry this season's harvest. 



What has been written of the country around York largely 

 applies to the adjoining Beverley district, which is nearer the port of 

 Albany. The Great Southern line, after being made by a private 

 company on the land grant system between Albany and Beverley 

 was, in 1896, (with the sanction of parliament) purchased by the 

 Government, together with the land grants appertaining to it. 

 Those settlers who had obtained holdings from the company have 

 been placed on the same footing as conditional purchasers from the 

 Crown. Beverley is an important farming and grazing district. 

 The Beverley agricultural area, containing 35,000 acres, lies along 

 the Great Southern railway and fronts the Dale river, and was thrown 

 open for selection in September, 1893 ; it contains some good land 

 timbered with York gum and jam trees, but the greater portion of 

 the area is a lighter quality of soil, and a large portion of it is still 

 available for selection. The clearing of the forest country in this 

 locality is estimated to cost from 3 to 4 per acre. The contiguity 

 of the area to the railway line, and the comparatively large holdings 

 that could be secured for mixed farming purposes, are in favour of 

 this locality. The area is 103 miles from Perth, 238 miles from 

 Albany, and five miles from the town of Beverley. 



