94 



contiguous blocks of fine chocolate lands, light clay loams, am 

 peaty soils in all shades and situations. The very hilltops are 

 covered with good soil which are all accessible to the plough, none 

 being higher than 150 feet above their own valleys. The upper 

 ranges have some natural grasses and healthy sheep and 

 cattle runs. He saw several fresh water lakes and creeks that 

 keep good all through the season, and that cannot fail to become 

 an important element in the settlement of the country. Of the 

 timber, as he confessed, he never, in all his American, Canadian, 

 British or Australian experience, saw so much value per acre as 

 stood upon some portions of the Millar Torbay property in the 

 shape of karri trees hundreds and thousands of acres of magnificent 

 trunks 150 feet and 180 feet in height, without a branch, and as 

 sound as a bell. The late farm manager of the agricultural college, 

 Rosewcrthy, South Australia (Mr. M. Eastwood), has stated "that 

 the land along the line, from an agricultural point of view, may be 

 classed in two sections, that within the first 45 miles from Albany 

 being rather wet, and the climate mild. The soil is a deep black 

 sandy loam in the valleys, changing generally to light sand and iron- 

 stone on the hills. This land is well suited to the growth of 

 English grasses, clovers, lucernes, etc., and on this account will bz 

 well adapted to dairying in all its branches. All kinds of market 

 garden produce can be grown all the year round in abundance, and 

 for fruit culture the climate and soil are admirably suited. Large 

 quantities of green fodder may be provided throughout the year for 

 cattle. Most of this land is rather heavily timbered with red gum 

 and jarrah and is expensive to clear and cultivate. Some of the 

 valleys within a few miles of Albany are almost clear of timber, but 

 require drainnge. Beyond the 45 miles the country rapidly changes, 

 the climate becomes much warmer and drier, and the soil less 

 sandy. The reel gum and jarrah give place to white gum, York 

 gum and jamwood. the two latter trees generally being indicative of 

 good soil. Along this portion of the line the country is undulating 

 in character, the soil varying in quality from rich chocolate loam 

 in the valleys to light grey sand and often ironstone and gravel on 

 the hills. The chocolate soil is well adapted to the growth of wheat 

 and other cereals. The wheat crops growing in different settle- 

 ments along the line this past season are as fine as I have seen in 

 any of the eastern colonies, yielding from i8to 25 bushels of grain of 

 first class quality. This portion of the land (between Beverley and 

 Mount Barker) I consider will be largely occupied by wheat growers. 

 It is, in my opinion, specially adapted to wheat and sheep fanning 

 combined. The vine and fruit trees will also repay the settler for 

 planting. Much of the poorer soils on the hills will, when partially 

 cleared of timber by ringing and burning the undergrowth, grow 

 good grass and make first class sheep runs." 



Along the route of the Great Southern railway the Government 

 have opened nine agricultural areas, comprising 450,328 acres. 



