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rains fell. Last year a somewhat similar experience, we are told r 

 happened to Mr. Packham, of Doongin, in the Tatnmin agricultural 

 area, whose self-sown wheat plants stooled out so freely that one of 

 them covered as much ground as half a dozen of those which were 

 sown in the ordinary course. Mr. Packham's experience seems to 

 bear out the experiments of the director of the Wagga state 

 experimental farm in New South Wales, who sowed wheat at the 

 rate of 4 Ibs. to the acre, and obtained from 28 to 30 bushels to the 

 acre, the conclusion arrived at being that light early seeding is 

 much more productive than heavier sowings at a later time. a It 

 is imperative that early sowing be practised in these eastern areas. 

 Without it the selector may have keen disappointment in his crops. 

 September and October are not reliable months for rain, real 

 summer weather sometimes being experienced during them. It 

 therefore naturally follows that the wheat plant, if possible, should 

 be so \vell grown by September that the occurrence of a hot spell 

 w r ill not damage it." A beginning has been made in summer 

 ploughing. The loamy soil from which the salmon gums and 

 gimlet wood trees have been cleared is sufficiently friable to allow 

 of the work being satisfactorily done. It is important to remember 

 that it is land of this class that is offered to the man who desires to 

 become a cultivator. The Crown Lands department is careful to 

 pick out the choicest parts of the country that remain in its hands, 

 to encourage settlement, and the new comer is invited to become 

 the owner of the most eligible lots which, from personal inspection, 

 shall commend themselves to his judgment. It is a great testimony 

 in favor of the eastern territory that for the most part pastoral 

 lessees who have their sheep runs there are a prosperous class, and 

 there has been only one notable case of failure among them. I 

 this instance the failure is ascribed to the paddocks being to 

 large, so that the fences enclosed inferior and poison land. 



One great measure of relief from the water difficulty is being 

 carried out by the Railway department, which, havingfound the water 

 of the Bulong pool to be so highly mineralised as to be injurious to the 

 boilers of their engines, has resolved upon undertaking a large and 

 costly scheme of conservation. The rocks within three miles of the 

 line are being surveyed to ascertain the rainfall catchment area, and 

 tanks are to be made to act as reservoirs, which, it is expected, will 

 have some water to spare for settlers, who will only be asked to pay js. 

 per 1,000 gallons. These tank sites have been chosen at Grass Valley 

 and Meckerin^, while a dam has already been provided at Cundcrdin, 

 having 35 miles of drains ; it cost .7,500 and it has a holding 

 capacity of 12,000,000 gallons. Another one has been con- 

 structed at Merriden peak. The base of the peak and of the 

 Ciinderdin rocks is encircled with cement channels, and in the latter 

 case a tunnel half a mile long is cut through the rock. A dam of 

 60,000,000 gallons capacity is being made at Tammin at an outlay o 

 i 1,000. There is also one which holds 3,750,000 gallons at Keller 





