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MOUNT WEEDINA COUNTRY.
A settler with several years' experience
in the new hundreds (says our Port Lin
coln correspondent) Bold out liia farm
about 12 months aso. and derided to try
his fortune in New South Wale;!. While
preparing for his departure, however, he
was persiiaded to join a party to explore
Mount Weedina, and the country which
the Minnysa. line will open up, and was bo
captivated with what he considers 'by far
the best land m the State,' that he se
cured 1,000 acres of the Mount ..Weedina
run within about seven miles from the pro
posed line. On his return recently from a
second visit to the new country he stated
that he is more than ever convinced thtui
there is an enormous extent of splendid
land right through from Minnysa to Darke
Peak. 'I have a- good knowledge of the
farming count ry in Victoria and New South
Wales,' he added, 'and a year or two
back I went all through the Pinnaroo and
Lameroo districts, but none of those can
compare with the Weedina lands. There
will be a great rush for blocks when these
areas are opened up, but there will be any
amount of land for everybody. Tlie soil
is rich and heavy, and under the most crude
system of cultivation; without super, a ton
to a ton and a half of hay has beefl grown.
There are hundreds of thousands, of acres
pf the one quality, and that the best. The
rainfall is ample to grow wheat, and the
records show that there has never been a
failure. Seen from one- of tlie high ridges
near Minnysa, the country has the appear
ance of being dotted with farms.- Plains
of considerable size break up the_big streti-h
of mallee and pines. There will be little
or no trouble with shoot,?, as the timber is
fairly large, with no Emsll undergrowth. Al
though the sol is heavy, it does not get
hard, but is always friable, and easy to
work. At Mount Weedina Station Mr.
Burns, the owner, has over 200 horses, and
a good number of cattle, all of which find
any amount of good grass the year round.
There is not the slightest doubt that this
new country will carry a large population.
Nearly all the land from the present ter
minus of the railway to Minnysa .will prow
wheat, but the best land commences from
Mamblin. A settler with 1,000 acres will
do well. If only the Government would
hurrv along v.ith the railway the farmers
on the other side would have no need to
scramble for blocks in private estates at in
flated values.'' During Ins journeys this
enthusiastic settler met the survey parties.
The head party was nearly up to Minnypa,
and expected to complete tbo preliminary
work to the head of the line in about throe
weeks. The greater part of the way the
survey keeps alonsr the commission's cut
track, a deviation being made at the Hun
dred of MeLachlan, of about five miles.
Water is a scarce commodity along the
roate, even the camps were wt too wrll
cunplied. Travellers take on big risks in
attempting the journey without having an
assured water snpplv ahead. A party of
men were met at Tooliger Hill, making a
re~-ervoar, and the boring ganc was nhiit-n^
camp, after an unsuccessful attempt to
locate srood water, salt ?water and granite
havins been the net results to date. . Tho
men in the various gangs did not appear
to be lavishly supplied # with food. The
members of one i»arty in particular were
reduced to the limiry of living on bread
and jam only. When about 30 or 40 sand
hills have to b-3 negotiated in order to
reach the Government well, it can be
readily understood that the transport diili
culties are great.
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