IRRIGATION.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8588, 15 September 1893, Page 2

IRRIGATION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRSS3. Sm, —Knowing the interest you take is irrigation, by the splendid leaden joa have now and again, I would like to point oat a few things that aeem to escape notice by yonr many correspondents on the Aihlej scheme. The Hon. A. Deakin, a year or two ago, had a long sojourn in India, and be Bent a vast number of papers to the Melbourne Age explaining all the method* of catching and retaining water, some of tfat masonry dams being twelve miles long. I do not'think that the large rivers han could be controlled bo easy, but in Victoria they run very sluggish, and netrly all clay banks. What I wished to point oat is that ' there are many source of supply besides these intakes oa the river banks, especially in the ashburton plains. There ia the storm water channel, running down from the Methvea. If a few dams and weirs were put on & would catch enough water in flood time to supply half the district, while, as it is, it i» a dry bed. of shingle, something like tiw Eyre, in dry seasons, also a good breeding ground for gorse. If some such pUn v that was acted upon with the Eyre also it might save clearing the gorse as suggested by the Premier. Then all the smallnces might be made to feed large reservoirs ora the highest part of the plains. But no doubt the engineers know their bcainesa better than I can tell them, but I think that the settlers are doing good by the controversy that is going on, and it #ill lead to perhaps all'their pet schemes being acted upon, ouly not all at once. I think th* Government in India have yet most of the control, and I see the value is something like £120,000,000. Hoping to ccc a *twv made early,—Yours, &c., Wikg Dajl