IRRIGATION AT HALSWELL.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20448, 19 January 1932, Page 5

IRRIGATION AT HALSWELL.

PROPOSAL DISCUSSED. A meeting of those interested in raising the water-level of the Halswell river with a view to irrigating the udjcining land was held in the Tai Tapu Hall last evening. Mr 71. 11. Morten was voted to the chair. Mr H. E. Peryman, who convened The meeting, said that the serious drought had affected every farmer. Ho thought that the river was too low as the water from the sub-soil had gone down. The level of the water in the river had formerly been about seven feet below the soil surface; now it was about 13 feet below. He suggested a scheme to dam up the Halswell near Hubbard's drain, the water from which would be of great assistance to grassland if the level of the river were raised by three feet. The flooding of the land would help considerably Value of Flooding. He had used an engine to pump water over his own land from the river and had thereby proved that a crop of mangolds so watered had grown three times the size of those in the dry area. Mr Peryman also contended that the sediment from the river water acted as one of the best of manures, containing, as it did, most valuable mineral and vegetable matters. Mr A. Barnes considered that if the swampy grounds were flooded now, they would be unable to do anything with their land when the heavy rains came later. Mr Taylor considered that the land could not be irrigated successfully without raking the other ground to a certain level, and that the expense thereby incurred would be too great. Mr Ireland said that while he thought the scheme a good one, there would be some farmers whom it would not suit. On Mr Ireland's motion Mr Peryman was accorded a vote of thanks. No agreement was reached concerning the proposal.