UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19240, 2 August 1924, Page 17

UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

NEW ZEALAND’S ORCHARDS FARMS WHERE COLD WAS YIELDED. THE GARDEN OF OTAGO.. In bis third article on life and work in New Zealand, the special commissioner of tho London Daily Chronicle tells how thousands of acres of arid land are being irrigated lor the establishment of a vast settlement of orchards and small farms. In the Otago Province, he says, the way is thus being prepaid for British settlers to live under the haopiest conditions in a summer climate which is claimed to mature fruit as no other climate will. Long days of sunshine in clear skies, followed by cool nights, axe tho rule. . . Cromwell is a homely little town (writes tho Daily Chronicle’s commissioner) in the wonderful upland region of Otago province variously known as Otago Central, The Co" tral, and Tho Garden of Otago. This region lies to the north-west of Dunedin, and is famed for the* picturesque ruggedness of its soonary, which recalls that of the Highlands of Scotland. Cromwell has been better days, and is to see better still. During the yeans of its earliest prosperity geld-eeekers washed fortunes daily from the beds ard banks of local rivers, which scorned to be Nature’s own sluice-boxes, rich in golden nuggets and dust washed down in the course of ages. But the day c-uno when the “rush’’ wao over and the gold-seekers disappeared, leaving a desolation behind them. PROSPERITY RETURNING. But prosperity is returning again to the homely little town. Like similar little towns in tho same region, it no longer depends on the prospectors bat looks to cultivators of tbe soil, who, through their industry and skill in cultivation, are to reap from the irrigated lands of Otago Central riches undreamed of by the early gold-seekers. Whatever the value of the gold the sluiccrs

unearthed in Otago Central, New Zealand lost something more valuable still in what they washed away. Although Otago Central may be described as an and region—its rainfall averages only 12 to 16 inches annually —it has witliin its boundaries an inexhaustible supply of water in its mountain torrents, crocks, and nvors. The leading or forcing of this water on to arid waotes is all that is required to transform what seems a desert into orchards and farm lands, that will rival in productivity the most productive irrigated areas to be found elsewhere. THE BLESSING OP IRRIGATION. There are hundreds of thousands of acres on the great inland terraces and plains of Otago Central only awaiting the blessing ot irrigation to become, in the recent words of Mr H. W. Jones, ex-president of tie Dunedin Chamber of Commerce: A land of health and wealth a land of email holdings, of orchards and dairy farms <m the plains as well as sheep runs on the hills, a land of running water and of electric light and power a of , pr °^ tion and prosperity, a land wluch pours its surplus wealth into the and receives in turn the manufactures of our cities, and the merchandise from overeeas. Much of the land oan be irrigated by o-rovitv 1“ the Lindis River Valley there is a settlement of tarmcrswhooe brings •irn watered by this method. -Che river is tanned some distance above the settlement, aaKc water led in a sevcn-nule-long race to the point of distribution Under irrigation, land that could barely provide feed for a few ekeep is now support, mg in comfort a whole colony of farmers and their families, STREAM THROUGH A TUNNEL. To provide a gravity flow for another and larger area, the Manuhenlaa River has been tapped by the State Irrigation Department, and a stream of water averted mtoa tunnel cut through a mountain, to pass bv way of a ferro-concrete race, some miles in length, to the land awaiting ungatron. Over° a quarter million acres in the Gpper Oluiha Valley will, no doubt, come unden intensive cultivation by some thousands ot settlers when the State hydro electric scheme provides power for the pumping plant reTmide the journey through the uplands to Cromwell in the company of M r P R. tho head of one of the iargeer businesses m Hew Zealand, v-ho has done more than one man s share of work in con neclion with tho development of Central not only for tho benefit of the province, but also for that of the whole d °ThT°grcatest and most pressing need of tho dominion is more population. \\ Rhout a large increase in their numbers, Lew Zcadanders recognise that they cannot mako the fullest possible use of their land, or develop its nautral resources as tlrey should be developed. , , Natural increase cannot supply _ all tne additional population needed. It is, therefore necessary to look overseas and to cn deavouc to attract migrants, especially from the Old Country. A PRACTICAL METHOD. One practical method of doing bo was suggested to mo after I had seen what Mr Sargood has accomplished in building up a

flourishing settlement, under irrigation, on what was formerly regarded as uncultrvable laud. . ... The method suggested was briefly tine: Lay out, on irrigated land of pimod fertility, small farms on which houses can. be quickly and cheaply built to meet the requirements of settlers- The farms ehoula bo of a size easily workable by a single man, or by a mairied man with tho assistance of his family. It was his search for a practical method of attracting the most suitable migrants to £& Sin. B *®« ! neV population, engaged m intensive culUvation. LUD OUT IN 20-ACRE FARMS. Kawaiau River, was: Th» establishment of a great orchard , ' ,11 firm settlement upon modem W Z which tho element of co-operation viould have foremost v-hero , ewat+Ws could live under the hapSt S condition S , creating by their industry nrcfiwjrity for themselves and thereby Hiding the wealth and furthering the advancement of tho province. The land has been laid out in farms avm'avin o, in size tome 20 acres, an area - ,«°rrrsidered to be “as much as one '"v-n ran handle successfully without additional help, or at best with very little outside C ! oil,” as described to me by Mb “insists of rich detritus washed down for centuries from the mountain ranges. It contains mineral Balls in such abundance as to dispense with any uecmsitj fer orchardists to use fertilisers for many a long di Tho land is adapted fon growing apples, neara, reach, s, apneote, neciannes, cheenes, plums,' starvvberries, various »rmill fruits, ceieals, clotort, .'uccrno, seeds of alf kinds onions, tomates, pens, etc. Below the level of this cultivated area rum the Kawarau River. the power m which ift bein'* clever.’, y utilised to lift its own waters to a height of frOft, so that they may be used for irrigation purposes. B,\niriKlK OF TOWERS.

To cu bit' ibis to be done the Kawarau was dimmed at a point four miles and ahah from Cromwell Hero, where tue river manes through a narrow gorge two mammoth pillara of reinforced concrete were built up olie. on either bank. With the am of charges of gelignite, both towers wore thrown into the bud of the Kawarau, thus constituting a foundation barrage on winch the dum W Turbines and pumps, operated by hydraulic power derived from the river, force tho inaction water up to the fannjovol through 224(51. of 36in iron pipes. From the end of this rising main the water is led along a race one mile in length, and then reticulated in pipes and open ditches to all tho farms of the settlement. Central Otago is a land of eunshinc, and is claimed to possess a summer climate which matures and ripens fruit as no other climate will. Its summer weather is warm, but tho heat is no,ver excessive. The a-tr is pure and dry. Long days of sunshine, with clear skies are followed by coo! nights. Cromwell, which has a population of 700, is tho present terminus of the railway line from Dunedin, 150 miles distant. It has a resident doctor and a hospital. It also possesses two banks and several hotels, places of worship, post and telegraph offices, State schools, a court house, shops, garages, a weekly ncwsp;qver, and kinema. ,V coal mine near by supplies fuel at reasonable prices