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[t. banks.

204. Do you know for certain that you can get water on any 300 acres there ? —No, not for certain. 205. You told us that you trucked your stock from your farm for forty miles ?—Yes, by motortruck. 206. You also said that you got top price for your lamb—42s.—and you equalled the best bullocks on the market : at what market was that ? —Westfield. 207. Then would you tell the Committee how much your stock was knocked about by that trucking—was it deteriorated at all ?—No. 208. It landed there in excellent condition ? —ln excellent condition. 209. And you do not think that that forty miles of trucking was a very serious detriment to the stock ?—No. 210. You told us that you did not know the cost of working the prison farm ?■ —That is so. 211. You do not know anything about that ?—No. 212. That is all done at headquarters ? —Yes. 213.. You only surmised what it would cost to break in the land ?■ —Yes, but I could make a mental estimate of it. 214. You have no concrete figures for it ? —No. 215. But you told the Committee that if the land were brought into permanent pasture for £15 per acre it would be profitable ? —Yes. 216. You do not say definitely that it could be brought in for £15 per acre ? —I am practically certain that it could be brought in for that figure. 217. But you have no evidence to prove that ? —No, that would have to come from my Department. 218. But that is your opinion ?—Yes. 219. You told us that you consider that this country which you are working at present is similar to the Taupo lands ?—Yes. 220. Does that mean that it is neither better nor inferior ? —From my observation in looking over it, when I first went into the Hautu country I thought it was exactly the same as the land off the Waiotapu Road. 221. Did you intend to include in the £15 per acre the cost of outgoings and interest on outgoings during the number of years it would take to bring the land into permanent pasture ?• —That would cover the whole cost of putting it into pasture. 222. Could you tell the Committee how many years it would take ? We have had figures from the Agricultural Department showing that it would take from six to twelve years to bring it into permanent pasture ? —I reckon it takes about four years —I have seen it done in that time ; I have done it myself. 223. Have you been there long enough to know when it is in permanent pasture ? —Yes, there is one paddock there in permanent pasture. 224. I understood you were not certain ?—No. 225. Mr. Massey.] You have stated that the lambs you sent to market carried well on the truck : how did you take your cattle ?—We drove them for three days. 226. You know that as a rule farmers have trouble with tired cattle ?—Yes, but we put feed into the accommodation-paddocks on the way. 227. Did you put your stock direct on to the rail from the farm ?—Yes, direct on to the rail. 228. Those were your cattle that had been on the road for three days ? —Yes. But if the railway was there we would certainly put them on to it. 229. You would have less risk then if they were going down in the truck ?—Yes. 230. Mr. Semple.\ It has been stated that it would take twelve years to bring this land into permanent pasture : 1 want to know whether you think that is an absurd statement to make I—l1 —I do. 231. In view of your experience you say that it is an absurd statement that it would take twelve years to bring this land into permanent pasture ? —Yes, I do. 232. Mr. Vaile.] The distance from National Park Station to Auckland is 206 miles, and the distance from Taupo to Auckland if this line were constructed would be 200 miles : which line would you sooner send your cattle by ? —By the shortest route. 233. Do you think the water service across the lake would benefit you ?—No, you would walk them round it. 234. Can you tell us the cost of trucking cattle to those railways ? —No. 235. Have you any idea how they could compare ?—No. 236. On the road over which you drove your bullocks is there much motor traffic ? —Only at a certain portion of the year. 237. It would not be equal to the traffic on the Rotorua-Taupo Road ?—No. 238. You brought that country in by growing clover ; what do you think about using lupins ? — We have tried lupins. 239. Did you find the soil was better ?—Yes. 240. As to the time for bringing in this land, Mr. H. M. Martin, Mr. Parsons, and I have given evidence that this country can be brought in in three years : you think that is rather short ?■—Yes, I think that four years would be the time it would take. 241. If you put in your grass, as is done in the Wa.ikato, with from 5 cwt. to 10 cwt. you would get immediate results ?—Yes. 242. Do you think the effect of top-dressing would be to extend the growing-period of your seed season ? —I have not tried that. lam speaking as to facts and in regard to what I have actually tried out j