SILTING AND IRRIGATION.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16515, 10 June 1919, Page 2

SILTING AND IRRIGATION.

10 THE EDITOR OF "THE HI ESS." Sir, —I read with much interest Mr ' D. L. Freeman's article in Thursday's '•Press" on silting and irrigating 6uitable lands. You will find in the treatise on rivers and torrents, written by Professor Paul Frisi, F.R.S., Member of the ltoyal Academy of Sciences at Paris, etc., that that method was adopted in Italy about 300 years ago to fill up the unhealthy marsh swamps, with great success. Although this treatise is very old, the translator, MajorGeneral John Gartin, of the Bengal Engineers, considered it a standard work. I saw, at a Chinese Kampong, near tho head waters of the Galas river in the State of Kelanton, Malay Peninsula, when I was engaged exploring that part of the State, a considerable area being treated by this method. The Chinese turned the Galas river, when in flood, over their rice lands.- These lands were laid out in sections with banks about 12 inches to IS inches around them, the water being i led to them in small races. A short time before sowing the crop, thev ploughed the silt in with their small wooden ploughs. The Chinese were known to havo occupied that Kampong for at least 200 years, and although I was unable to find out when they started the system of silting, they must have been doing it for a very long time. They were producing excellent crcps without other manure, and cropping the same lands vear after year. 1 In lower parts of the State tho natives flood the flats where they can, and while there is still a lot of water in the land they drive water buffalo about and tread the silt in.—Yours, etc.. GEOR&E LEE.