Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-11-01
Irrigation.
From the Boston Transcript.

While our Government acts rather languidly in the matter of pushing forward the vast project of systematic irrigation of our arid lands, Australia has been making rapid progress. Dur ing the four years of drouth that end ed in 1886 the wheat farmers of South Australia were ruined the loss of sheep in New South Wales was 1000, 900 out 9,000,000 in one year (1884-1685) and the loss of sheep for whole colony dur ing these four years of the drouth was 23,000,000. In Queensland many of the settlers lost 50 per cent of their cattle, and those who suffered least lost % per cent. By irrigation the Australian makes an acre yield seven or eight tons of flucerne. One hundred acres of lucerne will keep 5000 sheep three months, and 100 irrigated acres to every 10000 acres of pastoral land would afford complete protection against drouth. Irrigation in Australia doubles the yield of wheat per acre, and grape vines which produce P cwt per acre on unirrigated, produce 55 cwt on irrigated land.
 The colony of Victoria passed water conservation act in 1883, sent an engi- neer to California to examine its system of irrigation, and on his report passed another water conservation act in 1886, giving extended power for the crea- ton of irrigation trusts. A petition to be declared a watertrust district could be presented by a majority oi the inhabitants, owning more than
 half the land Tn the district. The trust
 can borrow money of the Government
 at 4 per cent, but the amount of the
 loan may not exceed 70 per cent of the
 value of the land in the district Un-
 der this act there had been created or
 June 30, 1889, twenty such trusts
 with an irrigable area of 1,O76,77s
 acres, of which 294, ,240 acres are cap.
 able of being irrigated annually Several trusts have been created fol the supply of cities and towns. These trusts derive their water supply iron
 the Murray river and its tributaries , most of the works are constructed b, the trusts themselves, but in som' cases, where the works are designed t ,, supply several districts, the works hay been chased as national, and are con : structed by the Government. Tn 8 most important of these national work
 is the great weir above Marchison, o : the Goulburn river which is designe to dam back the water for twent l miles. There are off take canals O i either side of the river designed t h carry 10000 gallons and 10000 ga | Ions per minute respectively, whic .- will be sufficient, it is estimated, t 6 irrigate 300,000 acres in the winte : and 150, 900 acres in the summer. A vast system of irrigation works being undertaking by the Messr a Chaffry under special acts passed b e the Parliaments of South Australi l. and Victoria, making condition' Il grants of land, to be consummate
 upon the expenditure of 2 certain SUI e in their redemption. Subsequent pu y chasers from the grantees secure | share in the pumping plant and irr is gation works, and pay yearly eharI Ie to defray the working expenses. TT s. money spent already amounts to E13( ,e 900, and crown grants have been issue III Ol 1O,OOO dCIeS. 1US lTIlSdIlOn WOrl
 consist of thirty-three miles of ma T. canals and sixty miles of distributic V. channels, besides pumping plant ca l. able of raising 50,000 gallons D B minute.
 le Of the value of such investmen 9d there is ample proof. In the punj
 district of India there is an enormo
 system of canals, which irriga
 8,000,000 acres and pay 4 per cel
 Some irrigation works pay 12 r .d cent, and the average return from
 irrigation works is per cent. In o
 district of Victoria the increased val
 of the land irrigated was at least A. sterling per acre. and was estimat
 at more than seven times the tot , cost of the works. In every case whe 1t has been tried by private persons ho has proved paying investment.