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wanted for crop until the trees are dry, and it doubles the feed for 

 stock. This work should be done at the earliest possible date. It 

 should be the rule to grub no trees in the green state besides those 

 which have to be removed as soon as the land is taken up, in order 

 that there may be no delay in sowing. The cost of ringbarking is 

 from is. to 2s. per acre. The latter figure was paid by Mr. Alexander 

 Forrest for 1000 acres which he purchased from the Western 

 Australian Land company, close to Katanning, and a portion of which 

 is now under crop." (55.) " What fertilisers are best adapted to the 

 land in the south ?" 4< So little fertilising has been done that a 

 definite answer cannot be given to this question. It is believed that 

 nothing is better than bonedust, which has far more than paid for 

 its cost wherever it has been applied. Only one or two producers 

 have used any manures, and none of them largely. The Messrs. 

 Piesse are trying Thomas's phosphate ; it promises well, but as the 

 wheat is now (July 1897) of less than a month's growth, comparative 

 returns cannot be given. From the attention that is being turned to 

 the subject, it would appear that the manuring of the soil will 

 rapidly come into vogue." (56.) " Is not liberal manuring from the 

 outset profitable ?" " For the reason given in answer to the last 

 question, namely, that resting and fallowing have been depended 

 upon instead of manuring, there is not much data on this point. 

 But if a conclusion is to be permitted to be arrived at from the great 

 improvement noticeable wherever fertilisers have been used on 

 ground that has been many times cropped, we should say that in the 

 south, as elsewhere, the more that is put into the land the more, 

 with interest for the outlay, is taken off it. At the same time 

 profitable yields are taken off land that have had no dressing of any 

 kind. The best crops are always those which are sown on fallow, 

 with the first rain of the season to give" the seed a start, and are 

 strongly rooted before the cold weather sets in." (57.) " Are there 

 any eligible large estates open for subdivisional sale, or available 

 for occupation under improvement leases ?" " Lord Brassey's 

 is the chief of the eligible large estates in the south. It is so near 

 the railway, and has been so well chosen for its natural advantages, 

 that there is no doubt many first-class farms could be established 

 upon it if the property were available, but, so far, it is being steadily 

 improved as a sheep run. There have been sales in a few instances 

 of subdivisional blocks out of the holdings of the old residents ; but, 

 as has been previously said in these notes, there is enough 

 Crown land to pick from, so that there is no need to set longing eyes 

 on that which has been alienated." (58.) " Can you make any sugges- 

 tions for the L'uidancc of new settlers?" ''Place dependence upon 

 surface water wherever practicable, for that which is got in wells, if 

 not biackish, is often impregnated with magnesia to a greater 

 degree than is agreeable to the palate. Do not buy stock until 

 water and feed are secured so amply that they may be kept in 

 health all the year round without anxiety to the owner, or the loss 





