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cheapness itself. Ringing will probably cost half a crown per 

 acre, for the trees are thick, and in three years' time after the 

 application of lire ten shillings an acre will cover the cost of clearing 

 what was missed. A reliable settler on forest land was telling me 

 of his experience in this class of land. When the timber was dead 

 he let a contract to clear it at twenty shillings per acre for the 

 plough. Accidentally a tire broke through thirty acres of it, and 

 from his description, after the tire the thirty-acre paddock must 

 have resembled a skittle alley when nearly all the pins are knocked 

 down." 



Mr. Lefroy says: " The Koojan agricultural area embraces 

 much good land ; this is a stiff red soil that will grow cereals well. 

 The site of the area would doubtless have been taken up by the 

 Midland railway company, only they had to leave half the railway 

 frontage in the possession of the state. The area promises to 

 become the scene of many smiling fields of ripening corn. Twelve 

 miles further on from Koojan the traveller arrives at Moora railway 

 station and town site. Between Koojan and Moora, salmon gum 

 predominates. Moora has a telegraph station. A post and tele- 

 graph office and a police station are about to be built; also, a new 

 public school. The children of the district are now being taught 

 in a rented building. It may be predicted that Moora will become 

 one of the most thriving townships between Perth and Geraldton 

 as soon as the district obtains a larger farming population. This 

 settlement is retarded by the ownership of the Midland company 

 of so much of the land in the neighborhood ; the company will 

 not part with any of their grants except at high prices. They have 

 been approached by would-be buyers, but no one has ever been 

 able to buy any land from them ; at the same time they have never 

 attempted any settlement of their estates on their own account, 

 and in the face of the generous character of the land legislation of 

 Western Australia, it is no wonder that settlers have not been 

 attracted in larger numbers to the Moora district. Moora is the 

 railway station of the people of Dandaraga, which designation in- 

 Cludesthe residents of Yatheroo and the surrounding territory. h 

 also serves the northern part of the Victoria plains, the southern 

 portion of which does business with Mogumber. The name Victoria 

 plains is a misnomer, as the land is not level but hilly. The Victoria 

 plains cover the Darling ranges at their northerly commencing 

 point, but the ranges cb not in this locality rise to any considerable 

 altitude. The timber seen hereabouts is very similar to that seen 

 in the Newcastle and Northam districts, namely, York, white sal- 

 mon gums and manna trees. There arc f.irms on the plains, but 

 the 1 greater portion of the country is leased for gra/ini; purposes. 

 The Victoria plains have always been looked upon as being of a 

 Superior character to the average of the pasturage areas of the 

 central district, e-peeially for sheep. The wool grown here always 

 holds a very good position in the London market. A good many fat 



