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to the newcomers, who have to meet a threat many preliminary 

 expenses before the first crop is in the granary. At this early stage 

 in the bringing of their land into cultivation, they could not obtain 

 loans anywhere else, while the condition that the" first instalment of 

 the repayment of the loan is not payable for five years is a guaran- 

 tee of safety that commends the terms of the bank to the beginner. 

 Another advantage is the 5 per cent, interest rate, which gives the 

 producer the benefit of the low price at which the Government is 

 able to borrow in the London market. In the south the free grants 

 of land and the lending of cheap money are deemed to be the two 

 essentials necessary to enable any careful worker to make an 

 independent home." (36.) ''What is the local rainfall?" "The 

 minimum annual rainfall has been 7^ inches, and the maximum 26 

 inches ; the average is 14 inches. The rainfall usually commences 

 at the end of March, and is nearly over by the end of October or 

 the beginning of November. There are occasional thunderstorms 

 in December, January, and February." (37.) " The character of 

 the seasons ? " " The climate is very temperate, never reaching 

 the extremes of heat or cold. The purity and mildness of the air 

 are very beneficial to invalids. Dr. Walter, of Perth, has taken up 

 a 300-acre block, near Wagin Lake, as a site for a sanatorium." 

 (38.) " The size of selections on Crown lands ? " " These vary 

 from 200 acres to 1000 acres. The larger holdings are devoted to 

 sheep raising as well as cultivation. If less than 200 acres are 

 taken up a man must expect to look almost entirely to the growth 

 of cereals and fruit for his livelihood." (39.) " The nationality of 

 immigrants ? " " Since 1890 nearly all the incoming families have 

 arrived from the other Australian colonies. They are almost, 

 without exception, English, Scotch, or Irish, and have come well 

 equipped for a new start on the land. Most of the men have sold 

 out farms on the ' other side,' and have brought over their 

 implements and horses ready to get a crop in without 

 delay." (40.) 4< The chief advantages of your district ? " 

 " A good climate and rainfall, kindly and productive land, a 

 local market or rainfall transit for produce if we desire to send 

 the produce to Perth, Fremantle, the goldfields, or to the port of 

 Albany. Another advantage is that there is in this district enough 

 land open for selection to en fble both farming and grazing to be 

 carried on by the selector." (41.) "The class of implements in 

 general use ?" " Stump jump ploughs, cultivators, reapers and 

 binders, winnowers, and steam chaff-cutting machinery, all of the 

 latest make. The ploughs are nearly all two and three furrows ; 

 the latter are generally worked with a four-horse team, but three 

 extra g )od draughts will do good work, except in new land where 

 there are many roots and stones. First class farming implements 

 have been coming to order nearly every week for the last couple of 

 years." (42.) " What is being done in stock raising ?" u Not a 

 great deal in horses and cattle. No special attention is paid to 



