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PRIMARY PRODUCTS.
TT
ACTIVITES OF .GRICULTURAL
DEPARTMENT.
THl SEASOFS PROSPECTS.
In the Legislative Assembly last night
further consideration was given in Commi
tee to the estimates of expenditure for the
current year
The Honorary Miniser for Lands (Mr.
Willmdtt). in introducin_ the vote for the
Agricultural Department (£67.222) said
the department had done excellent work.
it undoubtedly should be a department oe
experts, and should be capable of giving
advice and instruction on all matters of
production. The department administerei
twenty Acts, and its experts were continu
ally touring the counitry districts and i,
strticting the settlers. The department also
controlled the Wyndham meat works, the
abattoirs, markets, cold stores, and butter
factories. While the number of experts
had been increased, the admninistrative ofli
cera had been reduced by twelve. The
Narrogin Agricultural College was popular,
and the applications for enrolment as stu-!
dents largely . eeded the accommodation.
He was awaiting a report of a commit?ee'
investigating the matter, with a view pos
sibly of shifting the site of the school. The
State farms served a very useful purpose
in supplying seed wheat and stock to farm
ers, and in giving demonstrations. During
the year 8,000 bushels of seed wheat hab
been supplied to farmers. There were now
7,200,000 sheep in the State. as against
4,800,000 in 1915, and in 1918-19 the wool
clip amounted to 45,400,000lb.. valued at
£2,680.000. Western Australia was the only
State in Australia where the area for sheep'
raising had increased. Those who had been
to ,the North-West lately knew that thernl
was plenty of country here for sheep and,
oatte. 7The Murchison wool realised the,
highest price of any wool in Australia.
Good progress had been` made in the direc
tion of the establishment of butter and
bacon factories, and the testing of herds,
had been of material advantage +- th",
dairying industry. The department, had
given careful attention to this question,
with. he thought, very excellent resulta.
Steps had been taken to overcome the diffr
culties of marketing local as against im
ported b?tter, and it loked as if WVestern
Australia was at last going to make a for
waM move in that direction. The pro
spects for the wheat harvest were. very
bright. The total area under crop
was estimated at 1,500,000 acres under
wheat .and other cereals, and it would
be reasonable to ertimate 'he
yield at 14,001,000 bushels of wheat and
4.500,000 bushels of oats. There was also
a substantial increase in the production of
potatoes. Although the rabbit pest had
been greatly diminished, the dingoes had
increased, notwithstanding the tact that
9,000 had been killed and paid for. He
thought it was hardly necessary to impress
upon thq Vermin boards the wisdom of
keeping the rabbit pest in check now that
it had been so greatly reduced.
-Mr. Johnston: 'tne .rown lands are the
'worst breeding grounds.
Tile Hon. Minister said that, so far as
'the stock industry was concerned, the pre
sent conditions were most satisfactory, and
was giving promise of good results. They
.% re "goiug further cast with their stock,
and land that was regarded as desert .L
few years ago was now carrying large herds
of cattle and sheep. With regard to the
fruit industry, the area plasted . totalled
23,348 acres, producing over £.110,000 worsn
of fruit per annum. During the war
period planting was not proceeded with at
.lwe average rate, but there were signs of
a revival in that direction, and a grow
ino den?mnd for fruit land. The Western
Australian fruit had proved itself superior
to atiy other fruit trom the common
wealth, and it always brought tile best
priceq. It hit the orchardists, however,.
to have a fixed price for apples when they,
got- to the English market, and be hoped
that the efforts of the Commonwealth ant
State .Governments would result in having
that difliculty removed. He had beenau
told by experts that there was no better
places in the world for currants and sul
tanas than they had here in the Swan
district. He had seen fine samples of cur
rants as far south as Woodanilling. The
poultry industrv was flourishing, notwith
standing the high prices for feed and great
activity was being shown. The experts
in the department had given assistance to
returned soldiers who desired to become
settlers by way of imparting information,
and much useful work had been done in
,that direction. He submitted the esti
spates for the department to tue considera
tion of the committee
Mr. Johnston questioned the decision of
the Governmenit to remove the Narrogin
State Farm. He suggested that before
the State was committed to any expendi
ture in regard to. the Narrogn School there
should be a business trip arranged for
members to see whether that place
should bhe closed up or not.
He could not understand the Government
not giving greater facilities for agricultu
ral education when the slogan of the coun
try was "Produce, produce, produce." The
college should remain at Narrogin, but
an agricultural oollege should be provided
shldh would accommodate hunrdrcds of
boys. He pointed out that the dry por
tion of the wheat areas had a great future
for sheep raising. He thought wire net
ting should be supplied to the farmers at
reasonable rates. Could Mr. Mullanv who
wished to deny farmers world's parity for
wheat; tell the House how to ,jupply
farmers with wire netting at half tlhe
world's parity? Regarding the rabbit pest
he said that the system of poisoning acr
lied out by the Government had not been
on a large enough scale to be of any
use, end the Grown lands were the worst
breeding grounds for these pests. He
pomted out that the farmers and pro
ducers' conference had passed a resolution
in favour of trapping rabbits for food.
The Honorary Minister for Lands (Mr.
Willmott): You can't hlave poisonmg and
trapping together.
Mr. Johnston expressed satisfaction that
the Governmeut's action in establishing
butter factories had been attended with
such good results.
On the motion of Mr. Maley progress
was reported
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