THE VALUE OF IRRIGATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 6

THE VALUE OF IRRIGATION.

The last few years the South Island has during the summer months sufsd'+f5 d ' + f' ore or ees loss through drought, and the necessity for utilising man / Q 'f our rivers and other sources of water feuppjy were possible for irrigation purposes has been impressed upon the setuers. in ot her parts of the world very extensive irrigation schemes have been carried out with wonderfully successful resuJts, end there seems no reason why tiie drier areas of New Zealand should not be made much more profitable from an agricultural point of view than they are at present by a systematic scheme of irrigation. In Australia something has been done in this direction, and in New South Wales it will not be long before the wa ter to be collected in the' Barren Jack dam will be available for irrigating a very considerable area. But for the natural wealth of Australia doubtless many of the arid but fertile lands would have been irrigated long ago. When wool, wheat, butter, and fruit can oe raised in great quantities from areas of comparatively large extent without artificial watering, it is perhaps considered unnecessary m the meantime that an extessive scheme of irrigation should be carried out, and compared with what has been accomplished by other countries in the matter of irrigation the .achievements in Australia- are e,s . yet quite inconsiderable. We are told on good authority that India has 33,000,000 acres of irrigated land, the United States 7,600,000, Egypt 6,000,000, Spain 2,800,000, while the lands of Australia irrigated from every source are said to be not more than 200,000 acres, of which area over 150,000 acres are in Victoria. Recently the Melbourne Argus published an interesting interview with Mr Sidney Kidman, who holds stations in south-western Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Central Australia, with an aggregate area of 50,000 square miles. On these stations breeds of horses, cattle, camels, and mules are raised. Mr Kidman speaks enthusiastically of the help which the South Australian Government have rendered to the pastoralists by sinking artesian wells on the stock road from Birdfeville in Queensland to Hergott Springs is Central Australia. In a- distance of 300 miles the Government have put down nine bores ranging in depths from 1200 ft to 4700 ft. Whin the water leaves the bore it is said to be nearly boiling, but is excellent for drinking purposes when cold. According to Mr . Kidman the artesian supplies for Western. Queensland and Central Australia are transforming the outlook. In droughts a few years ago stock could not be moved along the stock routes when water gave out on the runs, and th? cattle had simply to be left to die. Now there are lir.es of escape thanks to artesian supplies. Settlers in Australia findl that the continual running water from artesian wells in the paddocks ensures the stock on large areas against suffering from thirst, and considerably lessens the danger of starvation, for sheen with plenty of water to drink can subsist on dry and scant herbage which they could not touch when thirsty. Again, the results of irrigation in fruit culture are. most strikingly shown in South Australia and Mildura in - Victoria, where there are prosperous settlements. Mildura is said to have a population of over 5000 persons on 9000 acres of country incapable of growing a blade of wheat in average years without the water which is pumped from the Murray. Irrigation at Mildura is making steady progress, a considerable area having been added during the last few years to the water area. It is found that the construction of irrigation works almost immediately doubles the value of irrigable land, and in some cases raises the value even higher than that. The pastoralists of Australia are now beginning to realise what a. vast future there is before them when a more extensive irrigation system is carried out. In New Zealand up to the present irrigation has received very little attention, save as regards providing water for stock in Ashburton County. With the exception of isolated fruit farms not much attempt has been made to carry out the irrigation of agricultural _ lands. With our rivers and climate this Dominion could grow almost anything better than other countries. So far as Central Otago is concerned, with a comprehensive scheme of irrigation carried out probably no better fruit-growing district could be found. It as to be hoped that the Minister of Agriculture, who has already shown hie interest in this important auestion, will bring pressure to bear on the Government with a view to fostering the fruit-growing industrv of Otago by the conservation and distribution of water, which would wonderfully develop the interior lands of Otago, to the great advantage of the province.