THE IRRIGATION OF CENTRAL OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19259, 25 August 1924, Page 8

THE IRRIGATION OF CENTRAL OTAGO.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Previous to coming to New Zealand in 1915 1 resided in California for eight; years, and during the greater part of that time I wa,s associated with the settlement and improvement of irrigated lands, and investigated irrigated lands throughout California and parts of Oregon. Having beer, in Otago Central over eight ycais, and having aoauired a fair knowledge of the conditions hero, it is interesting for mo to make comparisons between conditions hero and those in California. I have seoft thousands of acres of lowlying lands in California ruined by arrigition and the raisihg of the ground water level. Such lands there are spoken of as alkali lands. Usually they could be brought back to fertility only at great expense. In Central Otago I believe there are comparatively small areas that may necome similarly affected. It is mainly on the low lands with no natural drainage that these unsatisfactory conditions are to be feared. In some instances stroll areas of low lands may well be discarded when one considers the increased proauction obtained fregn the higher and better drained lands by the use of irrigation water. At, the same time whenever these swampy and alkali condition's can he avoided at not too great expense it should by all means be done by a system of grading and ditching lam sure the Public Works Department engineers are quite capable of planing and. carrying out such work when roauirod. " Even in California, drainage practice has ndt kept pace with the rapid development of irrigation. Many settlers in the early development of an irrigated country fail to recognise the importance of drainage and neglect (very often on account of lack of sufficient capital) to install the necessary drainage systems in conjunction with the irrigation channels. Whenever arrangements are made .to irrigate a block of country, arrangements should at the same time be made to take away the surplus water that is miro to accumulate when the irrigation system "s being used to its full capacity. It has been suggested that men should be scut from New Zealand to California to obtain information and study irrigation methods. No doubt some good would result if the right men are sent. At the same time I consider a great benefit would acmie to Central Otago if some practical irrigation farmers from California were induced to come and take up lands in Gentral Otago. If agents were appointed in the principal cities of California to advertise New Zealand irrigated lands properly I am sure many settlers would come hero and take up irrigated lands which cost low priros as ornparod with the high priced unimproved Duds in California, These settlers would then provide practical demonstration? of Californan methods irrigating and of producing crops unoer irrigation. The Australian Government advertised its lands in California some 10 years ago, and induced many set-lets ■with small capital to go Rom California and take up laud in Austria. At the present time I understand New Zealand is spending yearly about £90,000 to assist emigration from' England. Why not spend a small amount of this in . inducing settlers with experience and capital ‘o come from the irrigated parts of California and take un land in Central Otago? From my knowledge of the people of the Western fctatas of America. I fell sure many would come here if they understood the opportunities awaiting them. Further, it would not be difficult to bring over a trained agricultural instructor from California to join the staff of the New Zealand Department of Agriculture and have him stationed in Central Otago to give advice and assist settlers in the development of their irrigated farms. ~ , . _ . , One of the greatest needs in Central Otago to-day seems to me to bo a definite policy of land settlement and financing of settlers who take up unimproved land under irrigation. The present system of land ballots hardly meets the case, and may only load to many failures. For many years settlement of Californian lands under irrigation was all done by private enterprise "and companies. Of late years, however, the Stale has taken a hand in the actual settling and financing of settlers on small irrigated farms, the whole thing being under the close supervision and direction of the State. These State settlements in California have been a great success, and T feel sure the settlment of Otago Central irrigated lands carried out on the same lines would meet with success. Briefly, the California system is:—By State Act a State Settlement, Board was set up consisting of five members, A director or manager of settlement was appointed. The board has power to purchase land, arrange for irrigation and subdivsion cf land for settlement, arrange for financing of settlers to erect their buildings, prepare their lands, purchase of stock, and generally direct and supervise the settlement until it is self-supporting. The settler upon such State land agrees, under penalty of forfeiture of hin rights granted:*by the contract of purchase, to cultivate and irrigate his land in a manner approved of by the State Settlement Board. The settler is under such obligation until he has paid back all moneys borrowed from the State. If the settler builds a house he can borrow up to 60 per cent, from the board, if it costs £l5O to level and sow 15 acres in lucerne the settler can borrow £BO for this purpose from the board. Similar advances can be obtained for fencing, purchase of stock, planting of shelters, etc. Under this system of finance by the Stale a settler may with, say, £SOO can go ahead and develop his farm, while w'thout such aid he would not have more than sufficient to build a house. The repayments of loans are by small payments spread over 36 years, and the settler is not harassed or discouraged by fear that ho cannot meet payments and by the burden of his debt. Under right supervision these State loana are a safe risk, as what actually happens is that the settler spends all his own capita! improving the farm, which the State owns until loans are paid off. The average size of these State irrigation farms is 60 acres, but in Central Otago, with its longer and colder winters, a somewhat larger area would be desirable. The larger the area, however, the more capital is required, and the greater the risk of the farm being only partly developed. The settler who takes up bare unimproved land ‘with not a building or fence or it, and works to create a farm homo under irrigation, deserves every assistance and encouragement that the State can give. Money has been found for hydro-electric schemes, for extensive irrigation works, and it will bs a pity if there will not be available sufficient State funds to assist the settlers who are taking up irrigated lands to bring their holdings to a state of profitable cultivation. Even in California, with all its advantages of climate, experience, and markets at its door, the settlors have a struggle in getting established. This is shown by the following extract copied from the State annual report, 1922:—“Collective marketing by settlers and the increased prices obtained by the Durham State Colony settlers have increased the earning power of the settlers fully ono-third above that of settlers who have to shift for themselves, hut with all these advantages the struggle to provide a meagre living and meet the payments on land and improvements lias tested the endurance and courage of the best settlers as far as they ought to bo strained. In many cases there is only a hair line margin between success and failure, with all the advantages of cooperation and long-time payments. No one who has watched the struggles of these Settlors has any question that aid and direction given settlers by the State are needed by all settlers.” Settlors taking up State lands under irrigation in Central Otago will have some advantages over the settlers in California in that the cost of land hero will be, I believe, only a nominal figure; the land will bo practically virgin soil, having never hoen cropped; and. further, the payments for water arc very small for the first five years. In California unimproved land under irrigation costs seldom less than £4O per acre, even when the State has purchased largo areas and sold at cost to settlors. These lands have in nearly all cases been cropped with grain for very many years, and nothing his been put back in the wav of manures. Moreover, the ■water charges arc figured from the start to cover maintenance and interest on cost of the system. Against this the Californian settlor has an advantage in that the east of implements, motors, buildings, fencing, trees, and most supplies needed on the farm is about one-half of what these cost, in New Zealand. Another great advantage that the Californian settler has is that he can arrange to have his land graded, levelled, and 7>roperly laid off for irrigating (before over he starts farming operations) by experienced contractors equipped with the latest machinery, and at a very reasonable cost as compared with what this class of work would cost in Central Otago at the present time. All things considered. I think there is a bright future before Central Otago when the proper machinery has been set in motion to settle its present barren lands and convert them info productive farms under irrigation. 'File settlers who are to bring about this result bv their hard work and perseverance should have every

possible consideration and assistance. New Zealand in general will be tbe greatest gainer from the increase in homes, which will be part of this change to intensive cultivation.—l arn, etc., Thomas B. Phillips. Fruitlands, August 16.