IRRIGATION POSSIBILITIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3017, 10 January 1912, Page 17

IRRIGATION POSSIBILITIES.

VALUE OF MURRUMBIDGEE SCHEME.

In a recent address before the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce Mr Elwocd Mead, the irrigation expert, delivered an address on “Irrigation and Land in Victoria, that really contained information of value on that subject beyond the confines of the bor dera of Victoria. A brief statement of some of these results appeared in tho Argus. The article began with the sentence that “tho progress made by Rochester and districts of late years is remarkable. ' and showed that in the parishes of Banxawm and Nanneella 390 families were now bring where 12 families lived two years ago It referred to the Cornelia Creek Estate, which was a feu example of tho results of irrigation applied to large holdings. For 20 years it had been under the channels of tho Dcakin district in tho ownership of men able to bring it to the highest state of irrigation development, yet when acquired by the Closer settlement Board not an acre of land was being 1 irrigated, and very littl© cultivated. On 33,000 acres there was only on© homestead occupied by a manager. _ After one year of closer settlement all this had been changed: it looked like a different country. Eighty-one families now lived on the land, crohards were belong planted, and gardens, lucern, and grain were displacing thistles and native grass Before closer settlemerit the parish of Barnia-wrn had only tn i rof> people to tho square mile; that was tho outcome of 40 years’ farming without irrigation, and it was not likely that in 40 years more there would have boon any material increase In one year under irrigated closer settlement this had been changed to a population of 50 people to the square mile, and within the next 10 years it would be twice that number. Three years ago White Cliffs was malice scrub, a pasture for rabbits, without people or products of any value to the State, now nearly 200 families lived in good houses, with stores, schools, and projected factories. While Cliffs was an off-shoot of Mildura, which supported in comfort one person on every two acres of land, whore last year £250,000 worth of fruit was grown on 11.000 acres of land, and £34.000 paid to the State railways for hauling passengers and fruit. . . These were widely scattered but typical illustrations of what is going on in isolated spots over 3000 square miles of Aortnera Victoria. They helped to suggest what the country wa- to bo when the Goulburn scheme was completed, and the Murray fringed with settlements from Albury to Wentworth. ~ ~ , Last voar, according to Mr Mpad. over 600 settlors bought irrigated farms from the State, arid many others bought from private owners. Between now and next March 600 additional State farms would be ready for settlors, and it was probab.e that before tho end of the year the number would be doubled. ' The extent of this development was not, however, its most significant bfture. It was not that now acres wore being brought under cultivation, but that laud ring cultivated was being made to produte moio abundantly. It was not extendin' thv acreage farmed, but the creation of no v and higher methods of cultivation. Its success, therefore, depended in a large measure on securing settlors who had special training and experience. 11 , . v . as enough to gat settlors of any k.nd, hey must have a considerable number of skilled ‘ cultivators, and mm who could take the lead in the transformation of these ait as Th'-re was need also of experienced irngators —rnon who knew how to grade land and apply water. The importance ol securing men properly equipped to lead m this development could scarcely he exaggerated. Irrigated agriculture gave large rewards to knowledge and skill but it aho milic.tu heavy penalties on ’ ignorance and rngltc • It was with the greatest pleasure that lie was able to state that final and satisfacj tory arrangements had been mat.o, y which the largest vessel of the u jn°n b.cam Ship Company was to bring excursion direct from California to this State. It would leave San Francisco on April 3, and arrive hoi's the latter paxt of the month, and would enable American farmers to see, at low cost and under ideal conditions, exactly what irrigated Victoria was like. Such preliminary are the established rule with American farmore and he was confident that this initial excursion meant tho beginning of closer intercourse and increased trade between the leading irrigation States on t.*--two sides of the Pacific.