IRRIGATING CENTRAL OTAGG.

Evening Star, Issue 14634, 2 August 1911, Page 8

IRRIGATING CENTRAL OTAGG.

Tbo Mayor of Alexandra and four other, residents of that, borough will to-morrow, morning wait on The Minister of Agriculture and urge that hrrhedistef steps ehooM be taken to irrigate th© GaJkmay and Dunstan Flats, in order to render- them suitable for small fruit firms—a course of action which Lord Islington, in his address yesterday afternoon, strongly '' recommended.* It is also intended to.memorialise Parliament on the subject, aiuTtlie fol-. lowing petition, which will lie presented through the member for the district, has already received a large number" of signature*. Sympathising as wo do with the aims of the people of Alexandra, we shall bo glad to receive the signatures of many Dunedin people- who take an intelligent* and live interest in the subject, and desire to see Central Qtago peopled'with a happy, industrious, and contented yeomanrv. But they most waste no time, ;is the document has to be handed to th© Minister by 11 o'clock to-morrow morning. The memorialists say : That at the present time there is an area of about 4,500 acres of available ground, eminently adapted for fruit culture, on the Galloway and Dunstari Flats, near Alexandra. This land could, be commanded by an irrigation scheme from the Manuherikia River, which is : (next ti> the Molyneux) the most'reliable water supply in Central Otago. This scheme would be a. gravitation one, and could,.with very little expense, be brought on to the land, which, in the opinion of the fruit-growers of Alexandra, could be subdivided into 25: acre, block*, sufficient to support from 160 to 180 families So enthusiastic are the

residents in the district in this matter that, had they possession of the land, the iteceesaiy capital would be readily Rubscribed and the water brought in forth - with. The Otago Central railway • passes right through the centre of this land, and if -it were, subdivided and planted in fruit, trees it is estimated that r 'jtljore would be 14,000 tons of fruit .trans.-, ported on this liiie every year. The .Manorhurn Nursery (comprising about 11 acres) is situated right in the heart of this land, and last year 35 ions of fruit were sent lo Dunedin from this orchard alone. If the scheme were gone on with, in the opinion of expert*, there would be no ont'ineering difficulties to

contend with, and the water should bo available at a. rental of about 2s 6d per acre ; but those, with experience of this c.Jaj3s of land arc of opinion that lor fruit-growers the water would be wortii £1 per acre. This is the finest, clir.ape.st, and most practicable irrigation scheme that- has been brought before, the Government up to the present time, and would, if carried out, give Central Otago the greatest impetus it has yet received.