CROPS SAVED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 300, 18 December 1937, Page 17

CROPS SAVED.

SUCCESS OF IRRIGATION. SOUTH CANTERBURY REPORTS. (By Telegraph.— Press Association.) ■ WELLINGTON, this day. Irrigation has played an important part in saving several big wheat crops in South Canterbury, according to reports which have been received by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, from Departmental officers engaged on Irrigation works in that area. Accompanying the reports have been samples of irrigated and nonirrigated wheat, which indicate the benefit which this new development is bringing to important producing country which occasionally suffers from serious drought. A report which Mr. Semple has received from his chief engineer, Mr. | John Wood, states: "On the Kedeliff scheme, 2400 acres are being watered this season and the results are beyond expectation. Excellent crops of lucerne are being harvested and sheep are being pastured at the rate of 12 to 15 an acre. A noticeable factor has been the saving of several wheat crops. Damaged ears were taken from a crop on dry land, and healthy ears from the same crop which received a three-inch watering about three weeks ago. But for this watering, the whole crop would have been lost, whereas 90—per cent of the crop now has promise of being a bumper crop, estimated to return GO bushel of Wheat to the acre. The same results are being obtained on the Levels area, where 860 acres are being irrigated, and this will be extended to approximately 2000 acres by the end of the season. Farmers are readily availing themselves of our offer to construct border dykes and border ditches at cost price, cash in advance, and to date 250 acres have been border dyked, and 600 acres border ditched. The cost of border dyking varied from 18/ to £2 an acre, and the cost of border ditching from 2/ to 10/ an acre. In several cases the border ditches were made in standing crops of wheat, and resulted in a saving of these crops from the drought which is so severe that farmers were faced with total loss."