202 T. W. E. DAVID AND F. B. GUTHRIE. 



the deposits which such leave behind, as a rule. There are times, 

 such as 1893 and this present year, when a number of the farms 

 were practically ruined by heavy deposits of sand brought down 

 by the flood currents, but these of course are isolated cases. In 

 the majority of instances the deposits are rich alluvial soil, and 

 would be of special value were it not that the destruction caused 

 in other ways is very much greater than the value of the deposits, 

 even though they exceeded the sum you mention. The farmers of 

 Bolwarra have been doing their best for the past 20 years to keep 

 floods out by the erection of embankments, and others wish they 

 could do the same. Floods are very uncertain in their coming, 

 and besides destroying growing crops render the land unfit for the 

 plough for some weeks, very often too late in the season for the 

 sowing of another crop. The land around the Hunter, is all as 

 you know, built up 30, 40 and 50 feet, and is invariably so rich, 

 that despite constant cultivation for the past 60 years, is practi- 

 cally as good to day as ever it was, with careful cultivation, and 

 consequently the question of manuring by flood deposits or other- 

 wise gives the farmers no concern. From practical experience, 

 very often of a bitter and ruinous character, they are down on 

 floods as being the greatest evil they have to contend with. 

 Doubtless some day the soil will become exhausted, as is only 

 reasonable to expect, but with a judicious rotation in the crops, 

 they hope that the day is far distant when they will either be 

 looking forward to a flood to help them out of the trouble, or be 

 compelled to manure their lands to ensure better crops. This 

 shortly is a consensus of the opinions I have been able to gather 

 from a number of them in different localities, and I trust it will 

 meet the objects of your enquiries." 



