IRRIGATION IN AUSTRALIA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 136, 20 March 1948, Page 4

IRRIGATION IN AUSTRALIA

Operations in Mildura

Area

EFFECT ON VINEYARDS Information concerning the famous Mildura area of Australia is contained in the third of a series of articles, specially written for the “Guardian” by Miss Marjorie Braae, winner of the Robert Bell travelling scholarship. “Mentioned in the same breath as the words ‘dried fruit,’ fe, inevitably, the name of Mildura, and, indeed, this district produces GO per cent of the total dried vine fruits of Australia. Mildura is an aboriginal name meaning ‘red rock,’ and, although the rock is not conspicuous in the district, the red colouring is one of its salient features and provides a rich and colourful background for the bright delicate green foliage of the vines, the dull soft olive leaves and the shiny dark green citrus groves hung with lemons and brilliant oranges. When we wash our sultanas in New Zealand we find a sediment of the clinging Mildura red soil.

“It was here in 1887 that the Chaffey Brothers, two Canadians, elected to found the pioneer irrigation settlement in Victoria. In those days Mildura was a hopeless place, but, to quote from a journalist of the clay,' George. Chaffey “saw isterility on either bank and the river of life flowing in be-' tween.” Pumps were installed to pump the water from the Murray River, and the arrangement of the five pumping stations at present in operation is practically the same as that set out originally by the Chaffey Brothers. The history of this settlement, with its ■successful beginning, its later story of hardships, disappointments and misery and its final prosperity and the growth of Mildura to a fine, progressive and beautiful city illustrates the ultimate reward of tenacity, hard work, enterprise and co-opera-tion.

Work on Vineyards

“At the present time in the Mildura district there are 14,000 acres under irrigation, the average holding which one man and his family can cultivate with the utmost efficiency and return being 20 acres. The principal production of the district, is, of course, dried vine fruits, sultanas (7260 acres), currants (2700 acres), lexias (1100 acres), but citrus fruits also are grown (about GOO acres), while small areas are devoted to the production of wine and table grapes, apricots, peaches, prunes, figs, almonds, olives. “Vineyards are irrigated about five times in the year, starting in August and continuing at monthly intervals until February, this last watering in February being for the late crops such as lexiae. The quantity of water applied varies between 12 inches and 30 inches to the acre per annum. Fear of frost, and, later, of rain, makes the growing season air anxious one, but, if all goes well, the harvest brings its rich reward. In one vineyard an aeroplane propellor has been set up to keep the air in motion when a frost is threatened. Whether or not this; is efficacious has yet to be proved. “Just before the fruit is ready for harvesting and the army of fruit pickers arrives, the drying racks are prepared. A wooden framework supports tiers of wire-netting racks, some covered and some exposed to the sunshine. Currants, when picked, are merely spread to dry on the shaded racks. Sultanas, however, are dipped in a ‘cold dip,’ a solution prepared to produce the transparent golden colour noticeable in the best sultanas. The lexias are immersed in a ‘hot dip’ which turns them a rich brown. After having been dipped, the fruit is placed on the racks to dry in the sun, and, under ideal conditions, the drying is completed in a few days.

Packing for Export

“The next step is to send the dried fruit to the packing shed where it is weighed, graded, cleaned and packed for export or home consumption. The largest packing sheds in the industry are the co-operative ones, owned and controlled by the growers, and a visit to the co-operative packing shed at Berri in South .Australia, showed up-to-date conditions and the latest labour saving machinery. This packing shed alone, makes half a million cases a year in which to despatch its fruit. While the process of cleaning takes place in huge steamy cylinders, the pleasant pungent aroma of raisins pervades the whole' building and mingles with the scent of other dried fruits and oranges.and lemons. Girls are busily employed in grading and packing fruit, weighing packages of almonds, - dried apricots, lexias, currants, figs, pears, and, indeed samples of all kinds of dried fruits for deseert o pack into boxes to send to other countries, principally England, and some to New Zealand. Also, large cases of dried vine fruits, packed in bulk, and oranges too, are sent to New Zealand. Apparently large quantities of oranges are sent to New Zealand from different parts of Australia, although meet New Zealanders will agree that the demand exceeds the supply. Like the vine fruits, apricots, peaches, figs, pears, are dried at home; after having been treated with sulphur, they are spread in the sun to dry, and, at the present time, those fruits command high prices. The yield of dried stone fruits varies between three-quarters of a ton and two tons to the acre.

Drastic Thinning

“Then. Australia depends for a large proportion of her fruit crop, on the fruit which is grown l'or immediate consumption, for wine and for preserves and jam. Much of the fruit grown for canning comes from the (loulhurn Valley and surrounding districts, from the Murray Valley and from tin* Murrumbidgee irrigation area., pears, peaches, and apricots being the main crops. The size of an average orc hard is about 40 acres, but some are as largo as 600 acres and many farmers combine fruit growing with other kinds of farming. The frees are planted in rows and irrigated through shallow furrows, which the farmer prepares before each irrigation. Two acre feet per annum is the usual volume of water required to bring the crop to maturity. The fruit trees are tended with care so that the crops are both prolific and of a good

quality. Drastic thinning of the fruit in the early stages makes certain that the fruit that remains will be of a large size and, other things being equal, of the best quality. The average yield of peaches to the acre is 7 tons, and of apricots 5 to 6 tons. “In the districts that have been mentioned, huge canneries equipped with modern labour-saving machinery receive the fruit, process it and distribute it to the world’s markets. The Leeton cannery alone is capable of producing in one day 419,000 tins of lruit, 25,000 tins of jam and 20 tons fruit pulp. In the fruit season, the number of people employed is about 1350, and, in this cannery, as in others, suitable amenities are provided for the employees. Most canneries have hostels for female seasonal workers who come from far and near, and these hostels are furnished for the comfort, entertainment, and convenience of the workers.

Production of Wine

“Also, allied to the fruit industry in Australia is the production of wine and spirits. In a wet season which destroys the quality of the vine crops for drying, the grapes have to be sent to a distillery. South Australia produces 90 per cent, of all the wine that is made in Australia, but, in the Murrumbidgee irrigation area, also, an appreciable quantity is made. All the vineries and the distilleries have a room furnished for the entertaining ot visitors who are offered samples of this and that vintage, sparkling invitingly, and, unless the visitor is prudent, lie will regret sipping too freely of the liquor provided so lavishly by his hosts.”