3500 FARMS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19957, 18 June 1930, Page 8

3500 FARMS.

WEST AUSTRALIAN SCHEME IN THE BALANCE. On a decision of the Went Australian. Cabinet will depend the fate J, one of the most ambitious schemes of land settlement ever formulated ip. Australia. - . , . Following disquieting reports about alkali soils, work'on the State's 3500 farms scheme has been suspended. Be? ports have been submitted by expert? confirming the presence' of alkali in certain soils, and the freedom of others from, harmful'salts. Now the project, which was to J increase the wheat > yield by 12,000,000 bushels aid the wool clip' by 6,500,000 pounds, rests on a statement of policy by the Premier (Sir James Mitchell). The' idea originated in 1928, and the area of land to be settled under. the scheme was 8,000,000 acres. The total length of proposed railways was about 650 miles, arid the estimated cost exclusive of water supplies, was £.2,925,000. Water'schemes were to cost £650,000, and 6000- miles of roads £500,000. The j programme of- work was to occupy.five yearSj and 2000 men would be employed,' in addition to. those engaged in providing plant, material, and general: services. , Expenditure on these particular . Works, it was expected, would be -ap; • proved by the Development and Migration Commission. Agricultural Bank j advances, 'harbour' facilities, rolling, stock, public buildings, schools, and hospitals were to be provided from losn funds. The total expenditure involved was estimated to be £10,475,000. Later the Development and Migration _ Commission suggested the modification of ..the scheme, in keeping with the State's ;power<of absorption of migrants, to pro- ; vide , for, 4,000,000 acres. . /

Disquieting Reports. ' The scheme-was beginning to take shape when disquieting roports disclosed unsatisfactory harvest returns "tor farmers already settled within certain of these areas, the low yield being attributed to the presence of salts in the soil. It was resolved that an investigation should be made by Dr. Teakle, the State Government's plant nutrition officer. His report submitted was ofsuch a disquieting nature that it was decided to suspend, any further activity in the scheme until a- consultant had been called in to make a more intense examination of'.the country. Professor Prescott, Chief of the Division of Soil Besearch at the Waite Institute, South Australia, who was called in as consultant, confirmed Dr. .Teakle's roport of the presence of alkali in excessive quantities in certain types of heavy soil. The individual areas were not large, and the affected country was a comparatively minor proportion of the total area. The professor considered that the trouble was likely to be much more apparent in seasons of light rainfall than in normal years. He said the light lands were absolutely freo from harmful salts. When Professor Prescott's report has been considered by the Government in all its aspects an announcement of policy will be made concerning the scheme.

Signor : Mussolini's latest big push, says the Rome correspondent of th« London "Times," is a wheat campaign, in which a fleet of eight motor-lorries, each. 30ft in. length,..and painted bluo, is" engaged in a five months' propaganda 'tout"of Central-.and Southern Italy and Sardinia. Each lorry is devoted to a particular aspect of agricultural science, which is explained by charts or by actual exhibits of machinery and fertilisers. There are also illustrations of what the Fascist agricultural societies have achieved for the Italian farmer. Six additional lorries carry propaganda films, and lectures are given stressing thfe necessity for an improvement of stock-breeding and drawing attention to the fact that although since 1890 the Italian animal population has risen from 23,000,000 to 25,000,000 she is ; still among tho countries poorest »n live, stock.