63 



had appeared to be almost a desert proved to be splendid arable 

 land when it was treated under conditions adapted to its peculiar 

 situation and requirements. The Lands department saw its op- 

 portunity ; it cut up the Mcckering agricultural area a few miles 

 Vorthain, and when that subdivision was rapidly 

 taken up others followed, and the work of settlement 

 has within the last two or three years been proceeding 

 with great rapidity. Tammin, Doodlakine, and Bainding areas 

 were thrown open, and in spite of a very dry season, almost 

 approaching to drought in 1894, the experiences of the settlers have 

 been most propitious. Their crops have never failed, and men who 

 went on the land, in some cases with very small means, or with the 

 nee of the Land bank, are to-day letting contracts for clear- 

 ing, buying additional horses and machinery, and employing labor. 

 alculated that there is a profit each season of ^5 upon every 

 acre cultivated, and unless exceptionally severe years should be 

 experienced, what we have called the new wheat-growing province 

 of Western Australia is likely to steadily grow in size and pro- 

 ductiveness. . From every point of view these newly-occupied 

 agricultural areas are deserving of detailed notice in this SKTTI.KU'S 

 GrihK. In the first place, there is plenty of land awaiting settle- 

 ment there, which cannot be said of every district ; moreover, the 

 land, or the best of it, cannot be excelled for the growth of wheat, 

 and the holdings are easily cleared. The limited rainfall is com- 

 pensated for, as far as possible, by summer ploughing and early 

 sowing ; while the Public Works department on behalf of the 

 Government is giving much attention to the conservation of water, 

 and other surroundings peculiar to farming in the far east 

 are d'se,rvi'ig of review. 



The Meckering agricultural area commences 20 miles to the 

 eastward of Xortham, which is an important and nourishing town, 

 near Clackline, the junction whence the Yilgarn line branches from 

 the Eastern railway. The area contains 80,760 acres, and sixteen 

 blocks were set apart as free homestead farms under the Home- 

 . 1893, the remainder of the laud being made available for 

 conditional purchase. The blocks average about 150 acres, but it 

 is competent for any selector to take up several of them, amounting 

 in all to not more than 1,000 acres. The area is officially described 

 as chietly York gum, salmon gum, and jam country ; soil, loam, 

 with clay sub-soil. Water is frequently found at a depth of about 

 20 feet ; ring-barking and clearing greatly increases the supply. 

 Nearly all the settlers have blocks of several hundreds of acres, and 

 keep some stock. 



The Tammin agricultural area was gazetted open for selection 



: Member, 1894. It is beyond Meckering, 50 miles east of 



Northam, and 117 miles from Perth, and is intersected by the 



Northam- Yilgarn railway. The survey includes 45,000 acres. 



It is heavily timbered forest country, the soil being a rich deep loam, 



