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in a dry season ?" " There has been, but a great deal has been done 

 to prevent a recurrence of the trouble. The settlers, warned by 

 their unpleasant experiences, have been actively preparing to store 

 the water during this (1897) winter. Wells have been sunk on 

 nearly every farm, and at the time of writing excavators are being 

 largely employed to cut out dams wherever there is a good catch- 

 ment area, stock having been the chief sufferers in the dry years. 

 The roads boards have been indefatigable in assisting to keep up a 

 plentiful supply of water in the chief centres and on the main roads 

 by the sinking of wells, the sites of which, strange as it may seem to 

 some readers, have been chosen at the bidding of the ' divining rod.' 

 The outlay has been provided by the Government in the form of 

 special grants. There are public wells at Katanning and Wagin 

 Lake, and at Kojtinup, also on Brazier's road at Marracanda." (23.) 

 " At what depth can well water be struck ?'' " At from 20 feet to 

 70 feet." (24.) " Can you name any place where there are 

 facilities for irrigation ?" " There are no irrigable places near the 

 Great Southern railway ; sites for this purpose may be chosen when 

 the Pinjarrah-Marradong railway is extended to the Great Southern, 

 and the Irwin and Beaufort rivers are tapped. If, however, the experi- 

 ments which the Government are about to make in boring for artesian 

 water prove successful, irrigation may become possible on what are 

 now commonly known as dry areas. Boring for artesian water is on 

 the eve of being undertaken in the railway reserve at the Katanning 

 station, and the result is being awaited with much interest by the sur- 

 rounding yeoman population, to whom the tapping of a subterranean 

 supply, if fresh, would be of incalculable value." (25.) "General 

 character of the soil and configuration." " There are several kinds 

 of soils which may be classified thus : (i.) A sandy loam of shallow 

 depth, upon a yellow and somewhat friable clay. This land, which is 

 usually denoted by a thick growth of white gums, is considered the 

 poorest for cereals of all the soils that are utilised for this kind of crop. 

 (2.) A heavy black soil, which is highly pri/ed and is comparatively 

 rare. (3.) A rich chocolate loam, usually found carrying York gums 

 and manna trees, and which, as it is found in areas up to 200 acres in 

 extent, is regarded as being the staple fanning land of the district. 

 For the purposes of identification, it may be said that the holdings 

 of Mr. Andrews, and of Mr. YYestley Maley, are very largely corn- 

 el of the country which is now being referred to. (4.) A very 

 gravel, showing an admixture of ironstone, but lacking the vine- 

 growing qualities of the ironstone giavel of the Darling range. 

 Thia fourth-class land (alt hough only three qualities are recognised by 

 the Lands department) is of not much value as pastoral runs, and is 

 useless tor any other purpose. Mr. F. T. F. Crosby, who took 

 up his land near the Katanning railway station from "the Western 

 Australian Land company, has the first three varieties of soils on 

 his property. He has cropped on fields belonging to each class 

 for several years, and furnishes the results of his experience as fol- 



