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THE GREAT SOUTHERN
PASTURES AND TOP-DRESSING
Minister Impressed.
Tlie Minister for Agriculture (Mr. H.
Milliugton) on his return yesterday from
a week-end spent in the Great Southern
country, told a story of pastoral progress
by means of top-dressing and the growth
of subterranean clover, which was trans
forming what had been regarded as wu.-ste
land into rich pasture.
Mr. Milliugton said that the Kojonup
show, which he declared open on Friday,
was a particularly fine display, in the
sheep section there were many high-class
exhibits. He was keenly interested in the
crossbreds, as he agreed with the belief
which he found to be general in the dis
trict, that with the fall in wool prices and
the increase in the number of fiheep in
the State, it was necessary to give atten
tion to producing the right type of hunt;
for fattening for export. The draught
horses were a | fine class, aud there were
gratifying entries in the dairy cattle sec
tion. The Kojonup Agricultural Society
recently built a fine Centenary display
hall, which he had the pleasure of declar
ing open, but the entries were so heavy
that even at its first show it proved to be
too email. The indoor display, including
vegetables, fodder, cookery, and school
work, was an admirable one.
Proceeding, the Minister said that on
Saturday he arrived at Mt. Barker, where,
in company with Mr. Cooke. of the Agri
cultural Bank, and the Director of Agri
culture (Mr. G. L. Suttou) he visited_ vari
ous holdings and saw a number of fine
clover pastures. He was interested to
see what had been done by sowing on the
burn, and he was shown one comparatively
sour.' low-lying paddock which at the eud
of two years was carrying a good stand .if
clover. This experiment was of particular
interest because throughout the_ district
there were .thousands of acres of siniil..i
land hitherto despised, which, if the rijjh*.
treatment and the right variety of clover
were used, could be turned into remunert
h*e pasture. He found that the droopins
flower clover did particularly well in
low-lying country.
On Saturday he opened the spring show
at Mount Barker, which had been revived
after a lapse of eight or nine years. There
again the sheep section attracted good en
tries. The wool produced in the district
was very good, and at the December sales
it equalled the top price, while in January
it headed the market. The in-door dis
play was also very creditable, especially
the vegetable aud fodder classes. Settlers
in the district were devoting iiK-reasins
attention to sheep raising, and there was
considerable activity iii the clearing of
land and the sowing of pastures. Tlio
apple crop this season, following last year's
record yield, was disappointing.
'On Sunday,' the Minister continued,
'when rain fell nearly all day, we went
over part of the Kendenup Estate, and
on some of the poorer land we were ehown
amazingly good subterranean clover crops.
i-'rom there we went on to the Tenterden
district. The rainfall there averages 27
inches annually, and some of the clover
pastures produced on light land are wondcr
mlly fine. On Monday we were driven
through the Gordon and Frankland River
districts, still in the heavy rainfall belt.
Everywhere there was evidence of revival,
owing to the introduction of top-dressing
and clover, and the people are in good
heart. Some of them are adding dairying to
sheep-raiising, aud some are also growing
wheat. The season is later in that coun
try, aud with the heavy and welldistribut
ed rainfall I was informed that the clover
pastures are green right up to Christmas,
and in some cases even later, which, ot
course,' is a big advantage.
'The impression gained by visiting tlie
various holdings and discussiug matters
with settlers of many years' standing, is
that whereas in the past it was considered
necessary for each settler to have from
3,000 to 5,000 acres— many of the holdings
comprise such areas— a good living can now
be gained from 1,000 to 2,000 acres, owing
to the progress that has been made in the
production of pastures. We saw evidence
that the carrying capacity ranges from
one to four sheep per acre. The excellent
and reliable rainfall, with the cultivation
of clover and the general adoption of top
dressing has made this country an excel
lent pastoral proposition.'
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