IRRIGATION AT SEA FIELD

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21391, 6 February 1935, Page 17

IRRIGATION AT SEA FIELD

£XPERniE NTAL FARM INSPECTED OAS ,s Ol fJKKKN IN DRY I'I.AINS ■ • I" \< ! I V T .., : ■ ; y.pr limc.its at Scar,'„\ : ; '..:■•: '':<■■;,. iur,'i' C'OnVCl'- ',' a ~.. .... i:''ht hmci iii one of ~,-, ,-.-,. i;.' ■ •! Canterbury into '.'",. ■, ■.<■;■.. luxurious farm v. •■(."' <!'.<.• annual field :<:(.- ■'-•■■ .:. v . : ; . ■ • Seaiield yestcrciay ~' .. .. v .. -. ..-- li■ -r whom had travJVr c -: : .- .-■• ■-!.■'." through many ,' ; r . ~ r .: a, ehc J-up country and ' "r : y_ •- ; . ..-I . ;ou:;d themselves !.' a ;;~. _. .- ■ ,AJ,<r':.; of green, deep ~,•;..: ..■ " ;i;ick clover. They [ l ~ . , ■, - ' •;::' tender lucerne . f? r.v : ,;■ ;:.c !.;■: ve;-ters. a;:res more i.- t ;.. ;i . ...■:;• :-.,:• the mower, acres ( , i•■_;.,. • <!.'P.-. aiid hundreds of ■ -., ..-..,. .:..'..".: i onten'edly in the A-.-.:.-' • ■•-; "i these irrigated r /:'±\- i :..- •:.'■ -. .-':t"r.s saw non-irri- :.:■.•■.-. ■. here the clover and \y:'.....': ■■' '■'■■■ i-'o poor a condi- .-,:, , ... ■ ' ; i:.;i-ve.-1: where the ; :..... . ■■■' much belter than ■ ,:■■: . • ■ ■:. ;.;■;. bio'A n-top. and '...!...:■.. :• ■ ■:.,\>.- had v. ilted and C :i-d : ■ "i moisture. This land a <■ :■.:.■ :■.:. ■ it way stated at the .n-j-cc. :. ; r.-icidav, is typical of ;?o.uui> u.::i..-i ot Canterbury, most i.f v.-hich mu.-t be in the same conc.\.,:-: '.in non-irrigated section . ! Sea he.d. 'i he visit was an exeei->.-.•:i leuon on the benefits of irrigation w/i ti: f possibilities inherent ::i ;!.-> general application in Canterbury. >■ ■'■ can be applied cheaply tadproperly There were more than 25a victors in the farm, these inciudiiig mane well-known farmers ;n t::c district, members of local hod it.- : r<,;i: Christchurch. members of the combined irrigation committee of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce and the Canterbury Progress League, members of the staff of the Canterbury Agricultural College. Lincoln (including the Director, Professor H. K. Alexander), the

Corfiiriissiuntr of Crown Lands, Mr F. J. Quiiin. oiher officials from the Land,. Department, and Mr J. Conno]] •.. MP. (Vcli'oinc to Visitors T; " -..-tii woic given a welcome hv Mr who explained that the .', ::■; ■•,■:•.:(.■!: ■...•;,.- started in 5932. bey.iiL'f'i ir< Hit- Crown. It was being worked ;;r;ri( r Mi' A. H. Flay, (if the >'; iff o; Lincoln Coikue. and thanks v.cir cjia- to :>:m for what he had done to develop '.no area, to Mr R. L. James, :•.'■:■< -:,.c:'v.;'n the constructional wo:k !.>' toe [arm. to the Ashburton ('ourtv Ccaneil for making the water ;.va iable. and to all others who had ;. ■::■:'. d :n tarrying out the e.xperi-:;,(.-I:'.?. :.i: G H. Holford. who is chairman (■• the Initiation Committee, empha-i-.-cd a vjtal point in irrigation in Can•rrburv when he spoke briefly .during •he ir.ejection. He said that he had .•<<:'-!:tiv completed a tour qf New Zealand The drought conditions i-'.om'-d fairlv universal, but it appeared that with few exceptions Can'erburv had the advantage over other Lac-' ;r that ;hose places could do <.-.'/■ h.r.g about it. In Canterbury the c:o:i; ■■:. !>.-- ol'-ms could be solved to . - : -.''ey.u-r.i bv the use of the water '.'•;■.•( of ilie province. Irrigation '■.:,<■■ :.<•■■, .■■ the experimental stages '<•; , :,- ;■!■ <■ .11 Canterbury. Mr Hol- '.■■'[ ,-, <i but :ii'- Seafield farm was the :.:■:■• pi a. Leal step taken to demon-.-'.■■a'e .• po-di-jiliiKS. The commit•'■c d <[ not wi.-h to push irrigation ~..,.,.•(. ,j ,t. I: -,erits. It was out to .■'\e. •:■.-.■, '<■ ilie whole question thor- (■:.-, . 'j'h" romrnittee was indebted •'. ;• v. i]< had assisted in the expen- :"•; • and to the Public Works Depart- /,-.(.,• t, ; lt > survey of the plains, v ..... ■■; ■:.■;■■ at present in progress. Details <>l System :.: • •■"■:■■. who conducted the visitors <■•: . : i >;''. i.-.-ive tour of the farm, told •:.-. :. -:. ,1 Sealiokl farm occupied 700 ;.i - : ;;.d Sixty acres v;as under •■ ■•.,,-,■■ or lucerne: about • .a, not irrigated, and the tfj acres was under irriga- *■ ■ .::■■•■ oid-establiehed part of the .. \<- 100 acres was being pre- !,:.,,; : ... : -, n gation by the border '.i'< '<■'■■ .')•<' two factors of vita! im- ;■••,•■. c. -ueccssful irrigation, said ;•' ■ One was adequate and , • ... • ;i tci the other the proper . .•'.■.■: ~1 -he water. The expert- .■■<:• -■• :■■■• ini-taled area at Seafield : ■•■: ':■•<; n,-imcllv successful, bat the .-■ ;. .;:'.<r ;:ive fixation was being v ■ ■ ■■"-. •;; of farm income, and farm- ,••; .-.aire that on light bind ■ <■: ■. - ■■•<■ not be a great surplus; .'■■■:• ■ !:;<• iirmation there the exw-.:-.' i,t'-r- could do with more funds. ■ ~-■.■ < o'dd be applied on any ' .•■ .. i. . (arm along two principal ; ■<- t., Mcure a high summer carry- :■ .-apat-iiv and to produce winter :•<.■ 'lucre was a third line of apoi ■••.• '■■; wiiicn might be fitted in—the iv .o':;.'ioi! of seed, and this was one r .;• -r of experiment on which a start .'.•••'; br-cit made at Seafield. Carrying Capacities Whet: civing details of carrying ' jpdc.tiL-.s'on the farm, Mr Flay said v.at up to the end of last October, •;.<■ carrying capacity of pastures on ..■:-'atcd and non-irrigated land had i 'Ci: about the same; but from Not'lrber on, right ewes had been carred (<, the aci-e on the irrigated pas- • :rr. er.mpared with practically no'h:iis on the non-irrigated. Mr I'lay Miintcrl the following table, which thows the highly satisfactory results