RURAL RIDES.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20564, 4 June 1932, Page 6

RURAL RIDES.

IRRIGATION IN CANTERBURY. MEED FOR INVESTIGATION. By H.A.M. >TO. LXXXIY. Farmers in many parts of the province are very much interested in the question of irrigation. At the moment the majority are sceptical. It is questionable oven if the majority would approve of the expense attached to an investigational or experimental programme, but in many parts of the province there is no need for irrigation. The rainfall is ample and the land heavy enough for all purposes as far holders are concerned. But the farmer who may directly benefit is in most cases quite keen to have something done to demonstrate whether the watering of his own particular area can bo made economically profitable. A season or two of crop failure through lack of moisture has impressed him with the value of some artificial aid to enable him to weather along.

Some farmers of this latter element are inclined to place too much reliance on the accounts that have come from Central Otago as to the success of irrigation. It is questionable if Canterbury land, with its more generous rainfall, would achieve such striking results as have been secured on the parched areas of the Central. To the eye of the traveller those green irrigated fields aro most impressive, but what the cost! The charges of the Government for water bear only a smalj relationship to the actual cost of the schemes, and in these times of State and individual impecuniosity the question of cost must be a paramount consideration in any scheme adopted in Canterbury. During the week the writer came iu contact with a practical irrigationist who has had a close experience of the Central schemes, and, incidentally, in other countries. His views are not necessarily applicable to Canterbury conditions, but are offered as a. restraint on those folk who may be beguiled by some of the instances quoted of the Central. There have been no "cheap" irrigation schemes of any size in Central Otago, except a few small one-man affairs used by some farmers and station owners to water small blocks of lucerne or new grass paddocks.

The Crux of the Question. The writer's informant stated that for two seasons he was able to check up much that was done and he probably got as close to the costs as it was possible for anyone to do in the absence of a full arid candid statement of the total costs of construction of headworks, races, supervision, and incidentals. Before anything else was done in Canterbury this matter of cost should be definitely ascertained on an acre basis. The cost in Central Otago of tho whole of the schemes,' including supervision, etc., must now be approaching li millions of money. The total area irrigated in the central is 66,000 acres, so that, crediting-tho. whole of-the-area to the total cost it works out at about £23 an acre. As lias been pointed out in Tite Pkess on previous occasions, the 10s or 15s an acre charged for water falls far short of interest charges on the capital cost.. Then the low charges have

not in any case been paid. There is a substantial amount in arrears, but as that is not singular as far as the Government is concerned it need not be taken into account here. An Advocate. Mr Bodkin, M.P., in his rather optimistic address at Darfield early in the spoke of the results secured in lsa Valley, but there are some aspects that were not touched upon. Some of tho settlers in the upper part of the valley have secured successes, but others in the bottom end have had the morti fication of seeing their farms turned into rush-grown swamps.'lt has been estimated that to instal the necessary drainage would cost another £l4 an acre. An additional cost , like this would make farming there economically impossible. The Water Rentals, Although the water rentals have been reduced to from 10s to 15s an acre, much of this amount, as stated, has not been paid. Tho Commission which reduced these rentals provided for a gradual increase until some irrigators expect to be asked to pay at least 30s per acre. According to statements'made in Otago Central as late as last* month, it is quite certain that

farmers instead of paying increased rentals will demand a cut of 60 per cent., so the interest on capital cost will be a vanishing quantity. i Some Projected Schemes. At the present time the Matakanui-'| Omakau scheme is under construction. The cost- of bringing in the water will be, over £2O per acre. The BecksClyde scheme will cost about £25 per acre. On top of this there aro the distributing races, boxes, etc., and the levelling of the land. When all this is done, the cost will be such that few farmers will be able to operate their holdings find pay their way—that is, on an interest basis on capital cost. An Analysis. The writer's informant mentioned that he had checked costs of irrigating carefully, and he figured them out us follows: Water rental, say, 15s per acre. Levelling land for border dyke method and construction of borders, £5 to £ls per acre, according to the work that had to be done. Cost to farmers for distributing races, £2 10s to £3 per acre. The cost of applying water depended on the number of waterings civon per annum, but it worked out at from i:2 10s to £4 per acre per annum. Irrigation Necessary. Irrigation in the Central is necessary to niako much of the land productive, but even in good times 15s is the limit of its economic use. The whole question resolves itself around the aspect of cost, so this authority stated. He was quite prepared to admit that thcTe were outgoings in connexion with the Central Otago schemes that should not occur here, provided, of course, it was not attempted to water whole farms. The irrigation of small areas on individual farms might not require extensive or costly hoadworks. The cost of irrigating, say, 20 or 30 acres on a farm at 15s.an acre would not be an oppressive burden, and such an area would be very useful. Of course, on top of this was the cost of distributing races and levelling, but for small areas this outlay should not bo costly. The question of the class of organisation to control the installation of an irrigation scheme was important, and in this respect he suggested a Canterbury Water Board, on which practical fanners would have representation. This failure was a serious one in Otago, as the original Schemes were piit in with little regard to agricultural exigencies. If costs in Canterbury Were to be borne to a large extent_ by the Unemployment Fund it would' be a valuable aid in reducing capital outlay, although it was a question whether the higher paid Public Works operatives were not cheaper in the long run than the lethargic unemployed labour of which so much is seen. I Howover, the informant's advice wiis for Canterbury pooplo to ascertain the gross costs of any scheme, thon the probable results, and determine if the twain could meet. SYDNEY ONION MARKET. | AUSTRALIAN SUPPLIES. In view of the high prices paid in Sydney for New Zealand onions tho r'o'ilo.ving, from the "Melbourne Arfius,'' is of interest: The onion crops this season are much smaller than last year. Fears have been expressed that later in the year growers will be unable to meet demands, the opinion . being advanced

that by August the whole of the Victorian crop will have been marketed. In other quarters it is stated that tjie high ruling prices will cheek consumption somewhat, and that supplies will be sufficient until.new season's growths aro marketed in the spring. The subject was referred to in the House of Representatives last week, when the Minister for Customs, in answer to a question, stated that consideration would be given to a request for the removal of the duty on imported onions were it found later in the year that supplies were exhausted. The auty on New Zealand onions was £1 per ton, and on foreign onions £8 per ton. Reports in trade circles indicate that New Zealand stocks will be exhausted soon, and if any supplies aro required it will be necessary to bring shipments from Japan, which has been done in past years.

Owing to the increased cost of supplies the Department of Agriculture has found it necessary to increase the price of ulkaloid powdered strychnine from 3s 3d an ounce to 4s an ounce. Case lots containing lOOoz are obtainable at 3s 6d an ounce.