IRRIGATION WORK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 50, 10 December 1935, Page 3

IRRIGATION WORK

PROSPECTS IN CANTERBURY. CONFIDENCE IN THE SCHEME. (Special to the “Guardian.”) . TIMARU, This Day. “If the farming aspects of irrigation are properly handled, schemes in Canterbury cannot fail.” In these words, Mr A. H- Flay, of Lincoln College, officer in charge of the irrigation experimental farm at Seafield, concluded an interesting address, entitled, “Farm Management Aspects of Irrigation,” to members of the Timaru Rotary Club yesterday. “Irrigation is coming to Canterbury. It can be a success, medioprity or failure,” said Mr Flay. It was estimated that about three-quarters ol the Canterbury Plains were irrigable. Hie abundance of water available, coupled with favourable topo,graphical, engineering, soil and climatic conditions would appear to make for a successful launching of irrigation schemes on these plains. An annual water charge of 6s an irrigated acre, with lower charges for the first two or three years, as determined for the Levels scheme, should not be consideied high by the average farmer. If, therefore, the filial success of irrigation depended on a low water charge and the favourable conditions he had mentioned, then that success would he assured already. A discussion of the more important factors involved in farm management, both while irrigation was being developed on any area and also subsequent to its establishment, would indicate that failure to utilise the water efficiently and to dovetail the irrigated and non-irrigated areas successfully under suitable management, for maximum net returns, would' almost certainly cause partial, if not complete, economic failure of irrigation in Canterbury. The novice irrigator, satisfied that the financial outcome due to the adoption of irrigation could assist and increase net returns, and with water available at the point of his farm, required information on the entire management of the irrigated aiea and o the farm as a whole from the commencement of the undertaking, through all stages of development and on the established scheme. Because ot its permanence and great importance, pasture should be the first and foremost crop to irrigate. Under the heading of pasture might be included firstclass mixed pasture for grazing, and liay, clovers for grazing, hay and seed production, and lucerne for hay, seed, and perhaps lamb fattening. Irrigation of grain crops or any cultivated area, except possibly roots or ridges, should not be attempted in the early stages of irrigation development. The degree of skill aqd the experience needed were both greater than those required for irrigating permanent noncultivated crops. Although the carrying capacity of inferior pastures might be° doubled under conditions if irrigation, the production from first-class pasture was made many times greatei under the same conditions. Thus, at Seafield Farm, while irrigated pasture had maintained one sheep an acre, well-established first-class swards had maintained an average of five - sheep an aero per annum under the same conditions. AVithout good pastures at Seafield irrigation there would have been a failure. Tire greatest importance must therefore be attached to the proper establishment and skilful subsequent maintenance of first-class pastures. Successful permanent pasture establishment might he considered as possibly the weakest link in light land farming on the Canterbury Plains today. Because of this, pasture husbandry was one of the most important considerations for irrigation farm management. Matters for Consideration. Mr Flays said that during, the first few years the problems to be dealt with would to associated with the oiheent handling of pastures and stock to meet the new conditions, and also with the dovetailing of the irrigation and diy farm management. Later, special a - tention would doubtless have to be paid to the breed of sheep, and to foot-rot, worms and other sheep diseases that were not now unduly troublesome under ordinary farming conditions on tlie Canterbury Plains. The control ot weeds also required consideration. Much of the knowledge and experience with these matters would have to be gained by the farmer himself, because as yet investigations into the development and transition on the farm remained almost untouched. A cheap water supply cannot compensate foi errors, and, in fact, the per acre loss that might occur through mismanagement under irrigation might bo many times the water charge. It might be argued that good farm management as a means of success was not a more necessary adjunct to irrigation farming than to ordinary farming. It must bo remembered, liov/evcr, that although inferior or even poor management would not cause financial loss in ordinary farming, yet once the expenditure on development and lay-out for irrigation had been incurred, management must be sufficiently good to enable interest to be earned on this extia expenditure. “Although advice, instruction and investigation were needed on each and every detail connected with successful irrigation for the receipt of maximum net returns in Canterbury, the problems in this connection were to be found not only in the practical operation hut also in the economies and organisation of the individual farm unit,” continued Mr Flay. Successful irrigation meant prosperity not only among farmers but among the community generally. These farmers would be using additional labour and materials. They would require fencing wire, fertilisers, mowing machines, rakes, manure broadcasters and so oji. Extra sheep and lambs would be grazed and fattened. The rural population would increase where irrigation w&s successful, and the needs of this greater population and additional agricultural production would result in more and more activity in transport j businesses, freezing works and all coml mercial interests. These all-round

benefits were so great that the failure of irrigation could not be permitted and must be avoided by action along the lines indicated. But that action in itself was nob enough. There must be confidence in the schemes undertaken. Many farmers would need finance for construction work and the laying out of their properties to irrigation. , They would need credit for the purchase of fencing materials and machinery, of seeds and manures, and, finally, of additional stock. Stock could bq considered as satisfactory security, but farm machinery was less so, and for expenditure on fences, construction work, seeds and fertilisers there was no security. If the expenditure was along sound lines, then the extra income or profit to be secured over the years following the introduction of irrigation must be. regarded as the security. Failure to provide capital for farmers to develop irrigation means the failure—:or at best only partial success —of any scheme. At present, said Mr Flay, men were being employed to construct' races and ditches. Many of them were local people and cannot be transported without difficulty to other schemes as they were put in hand. These men should automatically be required at the conclusion of tlie present work for construction work on the fatfin. Later, these men ..should actually be absorbed into permanent farm work on these same irrigation farms. Unless this could be brought about, the permanent relief of unemployment by means of irrigation developments would not be secured. To allow these men to be used in this construction work and irrigation on the farm it was necessary that the farmer should lie in a position to commence his developments now. But before he needed the help, advice and guidance already outlined. Aspects Summarised. To summarise, although the importance of all aspects of farm management was intensified under irrigation conditions, the outstanding points that must receive attention were: — i(l) The economic study of the individual farm, with a view to determining the future programme and development rate. (2) Pasture husbandry. (3) Dovetailing or co-ordinating the irrigated and non-irrigated areas of the individual farm. (4) Provision of farm finance —deon confidence whidh, in turn, is closely related to the degree of efficiency with which 1,2 and 3 above are handled. (5) Continuous employment of men from major construction work, through development on the farm to permanent farm work.