•292 



A(jricultural Gazette of K.SJF. [/i/jri/ 2, 1908. 



are used in oilu^r eases. . ANitli an ordinary sjiirit \i-\A on ]le^•s or a home- 

 made A IcNil. it will oft 'Ml ],<■ fouii.l tliat walei- can be brought on to land 



apparently liii,dH'i' than 



t/ 



I 



...16k fed ... 

 Home-made Level. 



the stream. ( )i(l inincrs 

 are generally expert in 

 c o 1 1 s t )• u (■ t i 1 1 u' water- 

 races, and several ex- 

 amples of tlcir ijidustry 

 can 1)(' SOPH around Addont;- an<l otlici' old ininini;- districts. 



.Vlthough to many pi'ople these .schemes may appear paltry, they go to 

 prove the possibilities of more extended areas, and provide that practical 

 experience which will b.' iif^eessary when larger water su])plies are availaVde. 

 Settlei's should not be aliove considering such methods, even if the irrigable 

 area is small, — for it is really wondei-ful what an amount of succulent fodder 

 can be obtained from a small aiva. Only 2 acres planted with soi'ghum 

 will, with watering, produce ovei- 40 tons of green stuff. This would, lately, 

 have been verv acceptable on those dairy farms where the occii))iers were 

 carting ]iricklv peai' for miles, or ]>aving ]irohibiti\e prices for hay. Even 

 the overflow from a windmill tank could often irrigate a small ]iatch, and 

 thus save a little of the expeiisi\-e hay. 



— .-^■. , , , ■ ■ • . . V . . , . .-^-^^ ^ ... ^ ' ' ■ ' — 



Gravitating Scheme for stoclt or garden. 



Coming to the actual application of water to ci'ops, the chief object should 

 be to ensui'c an ev(;n su|)]ily. 'Phis cNcn supplv of moisture — not too much 

 and not too little — is absolutely necessary for ))erfect plant de\elo})ment. 

 To (plot e the words of a well-known agricultural lecturer, — "Plants drink 

 their food, thev don t eal it."' It has been, unfortunately, too often demon- 

 strated that the l)est artificial fi-rtilisers or the richest ba.saltic spoils are 

 ■uttei'ly useless without sutlicient inoisture. To artificially supply this 

 moisture, " 8j)rinkling may a)i]ieai' the most natural method, but it is 

 iieldom practised for farm ciops. In the town of Picton (which rejoices in a 

 water supply at Id. ))ei' 1,0U() gallons) .some Chinamen have rented a few acres 



