1230 ACRES FOR IRRIGATION

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25548, 16 July 1948, Page 9

1230 ACRES FOR IRRIGATION

—+— LAND PREPARED IN ASHBURTON AREA DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL MEETING A total of 1230 acres of land in the Ashburton-Lyndhurst area were prepared for irrigation last year under the border-dyke system, this being about 200 acres less than the acreage prepared under the same system for the previous year, stated the superintendent of the Ashburton-Lyndhurst irrigation scheme (Mr O. D. Riddell) in a report to the annual meeting of the Ashburton-Lyndhurst Irrigation Development Association on Tuesday evening. Of the total, 731 acres were border-dyked on private farms, 298 acres (against 575 the previous year) cn holdings of the Lands Department, and 200 acres on the research block of the Department of Agriculture, he continued.

The cost of preparation averaged £2 14s 6d an acre to farmers, an increase of 5s lid an acre, because of rising costs, on the year before. There were 66 irrigators, who irrigated 3647 acres by the border-dyke method, and they used an average application of four acreinches of water each irrigation. Thirtysix irrigators using other methods irrigated 1100 acres, averaging six acreinches of water. With its six-ewes-to-the-acre trial, the Public Works Department had completed its third successful year. The ewes had seven lambs last season, all being sent away in prime condition, and they averaged 34 pounds each. Five ewes also were sold as fats.

There had been a definite swing away from the ryegrass and wjiite clover mixture for pasture purposes on the irrigated areas, stated the field instructor of the Department of Agriculture (Mr W T . McKellar) in his report to the meeting. To those were added dogstail, cocksfoot, timothy, and red clover. It was significant that most of the seed used was Government certified seed. The area saved for ryegrass. white and red clover seed, in the Ashburton-Lyndhurst irrigation area was about 200 acres, which was approximately half the acreage saved for seed the previous year. There was a little grass-grub damage last season, stated Mr McKellar. but where there was adequate moisture the grass was able to send out new roots, and rolling would assist that process. The rainfall for November, December, January, and March was below the average, and that for February was just above the average. The rainfall for the last 12 months, was six inches below that of an average year. Officers elected were: president, Mr C. Hilgendorf; vice-president, Mr F. Letham: secretary, Mr B, J. Evans; committee, Messrs J. Cairns. P. C. Curd, R, J. Dunkley. K. Verrail, and R. Prebble; advisory officer, Mr W. McKellar.