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Thomas's phosphate on their fields close to the Katanning railway 



station." (13.) " The orchard and vineyard area of the district?'' " The 



area actually under vines and fruit trees is small. It is chietiy comprised 



in the properties of the Hon. F. H. Piesse,and of the West Australian 



Land company, although many of the farmers have a few vines and 



fruit trees growing in the garden plots surrounding their homesteads. 



But the area of land suitable for the vigneron and the orchardist 



can be computed by hundreds of thousands of acres, for the whole 



of the south, save only the very barrenest spots, is suited to peaches, 



apricots, and apples. It has been proved by growers that land that 



is not capable of growing cereals for many years without showing 



signs of deterioration, will produce fruit equal in size to that which 



is gathered on the richest deep red tracts, like those which comprise 



the cornfields of Mr. Andrew, Mr. Westley Maley, and others." 



(14.) " Are any of the local cultivators also sheep farmers ?" " Yes ; 



the large farms to which are attached pastoral leaseholds carry large 



numbers of sheep. Grazing, in these cases, is as leading a pursuit 



as cultivation. These cases are the exception. The rule is that the 



bulk of the settlers keep some sheep, but not many at a time. They 



buy stores and fatten them on the rields that are resting. They 



thus have their own meat supply, and from time to time send small 



lots to the butcher. Sheep are regarded as being very profitable 



where poison does not threaten their safety. As more land comes 



into cultivation sheep will be still more utilised on these improved 



pasture lands, on which there is not only superior feed but no fear 



of poison. It is the cost of shepherding to keep the flocks away 



from dangerous spots, and the losses which occur on untilled country 



in spite of all precautions, that greatly reduce the profit of sheep at 



the present time and discourage some land owners from going in 



for them. Where paddocks are resting, the running of sheep upon 



them is valued as an easy and cheap method of fertilising the 



ground upon which the following year's harvest will be grown." 



(15.) " Is your district much troubled by native pests such as dingoes, 



boodie rats, opossums, eaglehawks, etc ?" " There are no dingoes 



here ; only a few eaglehawks. Opossums, boodie rats, parrots, and 



silvereyes are troublesome." (16.) " Are there any poison plants 



in your division of the colony ? If so, enumerate varieties and give 



some idea of the extent of country affected." "We meet with 



York road, box, and prickly leaf poison. Eleven miles north of 



Katanning there is some heart leaf poison." (17.) "Speaking 



generally, is it a good district for stock ?" " It is a good district for 



stock, especially for sheep, which receive far more attention than 



cattle." (i.X.) '"' What is the character of the herbage ? Name the 



grasses as tar as possible." " On the York gum and red gum country, 



on a chocolate soil, the silver-grass is the principal herbage ; it 



grows luxuriantly in the spring and early summer. After November 



the sun burns it off. The first rains in March bring up silver grass, 



and it is at its best in September and October. The wild oat and 



