IRRIGATION AND PROFIT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11541, 30 March 1898, Page 3

IRRIGATION AND PROFIT.

f“ Canterbury Times.”] An account of the benefits of irrigation, as seen on the farm of Messrs Savill Bros., Yaldhurst, was given in this paper a few weeks ago. An equally forcible illustration is supplied by the farm of Mr A. M’Gregor, at Norwood, particulars of which are given in a report furnished to the Selwyn County Council by Mr C. L. Davies, overseer of the district water-races. Mr M’Gregor commenced the irrigation of sixty-three acres in'lß93 with surplus water from the Kowai face, paying for fifteen inches of water, and has kept a careful record of results from the commencement, from which he has furnished Mr Davies with the following information: —Paddock No. 1, containing 30 acres, in turnips (irrigated), in February, 1893, produced a splendid crop, sample turnips weighing from 12lb to 18lb apiece. Mr M’Gregor carted out the turnips and cut them up. These served to feed 1050 sheep, 200 of which were sold, and 850 fed to the end of September, 1893. The turnip land was ploughed and sown with red clover during the autumn of 1894, and this fattened three hundred lambs, which realised 10s 6d apiece in May, 1894. In • August, 1894, Mr M’Gregor closed his paddock, and in December of the same year cut ninety tons of clover hay therefrom. He then irrigated the aftermath, intending it for seed, but as tbe caterpillars spoiled it for tbis purpose he cut it for hay in March, 1895, obtaining a crop of fifty tons. This hay supported 365 lambs through the following winter and until shearing time. During this time the lambs were running on a twenty-acre paddock, and the hay was carted to them, and eight acres of turnips were fed to them in addition. At shearing time 111 b of wool was obtained from each lamb, which sold at 6d per lb. A month after shearing the lambs were sold for 9s 6d per head, thus netting 15s each early in December, 1895. On Jan. 1, 1896, the clover was again cut for hay. It should have been cut in the previous December but was left longer to see if the crop would escape the caterpillar. The weight of hay saved was sixty tons. The water was at once turned on again, and the aftermath was cut on May 28 1896, when another 60-ton crop was saved. This gave .1.20 tons of hay for winter use, on which were fed 634 sheep and 20 milch cows through the winter months, no turnips being used. During the time tbe paddock was in clover and under irrigation no stock was grazed upon it. On July 28, 1896, the paddock was ploughed up, and on August 21 fifteen acres were sown with Tuscan wheat, and in spring the remainder was sown with turnips. The wheat was irrigated from Oct. 15 to Dec. 31,1896. On Jan. 29,1897, the wheat, being cut somewhat on the green side, yielded thirty bushels per acre, but there was insufficient water to irrigate the turnip crop, which proved a failure. In April, 1897, the paddock was again ploughed, fifteen acres being put down in winter wheat and the balance in oats. Both crops were irrigated from spring until Dec. 25, 1897. This crop has not yet been threshed, but the estimated yield is: wheat thirty bushels and oats seventy bushels per acre, or if cut into chaff the oat crop would average three tons per acre. Paddock No. 2, thirty-three acres, in 1895 was in oats (irrigated), which averaged three tons of chaff per acre. From August to September 16,1896, irrigated the clover sown with the previous crop, and on Nov. 26, 1896, out for hay, with a result of seventy tons. Irrigated aftermath for seed and cut on March 4, 1897. The seed was sold for £IOB, and the threshed straw fed sixty head of cattle for one month. Having no feed on any other part of the farm, Mr M’Gregor was obliged to turn in his stock from April to Dec. 16, 1897, when the land was again shut up for irrigation, which is now unfortunately suspended in consequence of the almost total failure of the water supply. Both paddocks consist of light soil from 6in to 12in deep, with clay subsoil, and in ordinary seasons are capable of growing from twelve to seventeen bushels of wheat, and from eighteen to twenty-five bushels of oats. Mr M’Gregor estimates that there would have been this season seven bushels of wheat and ten of oats on paddock No. 1, from which he obtained by irrigation thirty and seventy bushels respectively. Previously to irrigating his turnip crops have invariably been failures, and he sets down a ton to the acre as a fair estimate of his clover without irrigation. He further states that without the use of water he would not be able to grow clover seed at all. Mr M’Gregor’svalue& of the-cropsiraisedfrom

The wheat and oats, valued at .£291, should be reduced by .£B7 ss, to meet loss through wind blowing out the grain after the crop had matured, leaving the sum of £616 5s as the value of produce of the 30 acres from 1893 to the present time, equalling £2O 10s lOd per acre. Replying to questions from Mr Davies, Mr M‘Gregor said that irrigation, conducted with care and common sense, did not impoverish land, but, on the contrary, improved it. He considers that the value of oats and wheat grown on the same land during the same period, but without irrigation, would have been £66.

paddock No, 1, thirty acres, are aa tabulated: — Tear. Crop Value, £ 8. 1893 Value of turnip crop for feeding 1 75 0 purposes 1894 Value of clover for feeding 300 lambs before paddock closed. } 77 10 August 1 1895 Value of 140 tons clover bay cut in December, 1894, and March, 1895, for feeding purposes ... ) 140 0 1896 Value of 120 tons of clover bay for feeding purposes, cut Jan. 1 }l20 0 and May 28,1896 1897 Value of wheat cut Jan. 29, 1897, \ 450 bushels at 3s 6d ... S 78 10 1898"i Estimated value 450 bushels } 00 0 I wheat at 4s, unsold - t Estimated value 1050 bushels oats r ) at 2s 4d, unsold ;i22 10 Total £703 10