157 



ing centre, wheat for a time ceased to be grown, because compe- 

 tition came from the eastern districts. It was easier for the York 

 growers to cart wheat (for they had no railway) to the city, 

 than to c irt hay. So the Swan growers, still having the 

 hay market to themselves, cut their crops for fodder instead 

 of for c >rn, and Cruise's mill fell into desuetude. Ellen's 

 brook is only a small stream, and a dam had to be made above the 

 mill to increase its driving power. Cruise's mill did good work in 

 its day, and it was a good investment for its owners, besides being 

 a landmark that must have been very remindful to the English 

 immigrants, of a rural scene at home." 



The old grants have not been much subdivided ; there are now 

 new men, but old acres, on the Swan. An exception is the pro- 

 perty of Mr. \V. D. Moore, which was originally selected by Mr. 

 George Moore. Neither have the grants been extensively im- 

 proved, except close to the river. There are thousands of acres 

 which have not even been ringbarked. It is expensive to clear 

 them of their forests of red gum, white gum, and swamp gum, and 

 many of the owners are living abroad. " Absenteeism," says Mr. 

 Harper, " is the reason that more has not been done in the Swan 

 district. In other directions, notably fruit-growing, very satisfac- 

 tory progress has been made. The Swan is a great orchard place 

 now, one of the principal in the colony. Cereal crops are grown, 

 but fruit production takes the pride of place. Latterly," Mr. Harper 

 states, '' a great improvement has been made here in methods of 

 orchard cultivation ; old errors are being corrected and knowledge 

 is being enlarged ; new and superior varieties of stocks are being 

 introduced. At one time trees and vines were overcrowded, so that 

 horse power and labor-saving plant could not take the place of the 

 spade ; now the plantations are being laid out accurately on the 

 square, quincunx, or septuple systems, and proper work is done 

 upon them at all seasons of the year. The best soil is allotted to 

 fruit and vineyards, with the result that better fruit is being sent to 

 market. You may hear people say that they used to see finer peaches 

 than they get nowadays, but they forget that they are speaking 

 of the fruit of a special tree, of a superior variety perhaps, or one 

 which had the good fortune to be planted in an excellent situation, 

 and to have been attended to. The bulk sample of the yield of the 

 Swan orchards and vineyards is of a higher grade than that which 

 was formerly sold. Moreover, study has been given to having a 

 rotation of crops in the orchards. I can remember when there was 

 a glut at one time of the year, and none at all for many months 

 afterwards. In the vineyard stocks there has been a marked im- 

 provement both in the table and wine varieties. Among the choice 

 sorts that have been introduced, speaking of table kinds, are 

 Knight's centennial, Waltham cross, black St. Peter. Before we 

 got these stocks the standard dessert varieties were white 

 Nice, chasselas, crystal, and Whortley hall and sweetwater. 



