154 



the direction of stock raising a fair number of sheep, horses, and 

 pigs are bred. Given a railway, the opportunities for a larger scope 

 of work are good. Dairying is being neglected, and it cannot be 

 said that we do any dairying for market purposes. Vegetables are 

 not grown to any extent at present. Large- plots are now, however, 

 being brought under cultivation, and it is hoped that vegetables will 

 be very largely grown. Potatoes do well and are planted. Several 

 of the potato crops at the present time (July 1897) are looking very 

 well. There is Government land suitable for potato cropping 

 available. This land is not nearer than 250 miles to a railway, 

 Coolgardie being the nearest point where the locomotive runs. There 

 are also private lands available for potato growing, but we are 

 unable to give the price and terms \vhich would be offered to 

 purchasers. Frosts are not prevalent and destructive on the coast. 

 Heavy frosts are experienced further inland. The approximate 

 dates of the earliest and latest frosts are May and August, respec- 

 tively. The Esperance district is adapted for close settlement, i.e., 

 for 10 and 20 acre men, supposing that the market of the goldiields 

 is opened up by the laying of a railway so as to enable garden and 

 dairy produce to be quickly and economically transported there in 

 good order. Farmers are not keeping fowls or bees. From our 

 observation, the chief requisites for a new r settler are railway and 

 good roads. The lessons of local experience in the clearing and treat- 

 ment of the land show that the best results are obtained from 

 fallowing and early sow r ing. The soil has not yet been sufficiently 

 tested to answer authoritatively the question, 'What fertilisers 

 are best ad ipted to it ?' We can, however, say that liberal 

 manuring from the outset is profitable. There are no eligible large 

 estates open for subdivisional sale, or available for occupation under 

 improvement leases. The only suggestions that we can make for 

 the guidance of new settlers are that they must have some capital 

 and previous experience in agricultural pursuits." 



