142 IRRIGATION FINANCIAL PROBLEMS. 



whereby the water can be conveyed from the mountain to the plain^ 

 and at the same time convey the water, instead of produce, to the 

 lines of communication which are more accessible in the valley 

 basin. A scheme of this description was completed in the Nuy 

 Valley over two years ago. The Chairman of the Nuy Irrigation 

 Board says as follows, viz. : — 



At his own valley of the Nuy the new irrigation scheme has 

 doubled the general productiveness in two years. The farmers, 

 instead of being limited to small patches of ground, had now un- 

 limited scope. Not only the better soil, but poorer ground as well 

 was under cultivation and large dams were being constructed, so 

 that when the Nuy was in flood, very little water would run to waste. 



This Board has recently purchased properties situated high up 

 upon the catchment area of the Nuy River, and are 

 enforcing regulations for the control of water 

 gravitating to their farms. A man stationed upon 

 the catchment has strict instructions not to allow 

 any veld burning, or the cutting of bush, the idea being to allow 

 the property to become covered with a natural growth to conserve 

 the water supply. Highly successful as the irrigation project in 

 the Nuy Valley has become in the short period of two years, not 

 a tithe of the possibilities there have yet been developed. 



In a valley adjoining the Nuy are the Nonna River Irrigation 

 Works, where the water has been tapped upon the mountain slope 

 and conveyed by means of a 9-in. diam. steel pipe to the irrigable 

 lands situated beyond the toe of the mountain range. This project 

 has been in operation over two years, and the results are highly 

 satisfactory. Other schemes of this description are under con- 

 struction in the Breede Valley, on the Doom and the Noree Rivers, 

 where the waters are to be conveyed either by canals or pipes from 

 the mountains to the more fertile areas in the valley. Such schemes 

 are highly profitable to the farms upon economic grounds. The 

 advantages are : — 



(1) By keeping unimpaired the catchment area, the water supply 



is conserved ; therefore tending to avoid a too rapid run-off of 

 the rainfall with consequent slooting. 



(2) Any surplus flood water can be more economically stored near 



the cultivated lands than upon the steeper slopes of the catch- 

 ment. 



(3) The flatter lands of the valley are able to retain the moisture ; 



therefore the water is used to better advantage. 



(4) The lands of the valley are usually more fertile with a greater 



depth of soil than the lands situated at higher levels in the 

 basin. Near the river banks the lands usually flatten out and 

 there are found the best Karroo soils. 



(5) The means of communication, railways and roads are more 



accessible in the valley— consequently the cost of transport for 

 produce is less, and the handling becomes more speedy. 



(6) The farms are more accessible to the commercial man and 



better prices are obtained for produce, resulting in an 

 enhanced value of the property and agricultural wealth. 



Therefore it should be urged, where possible, the closing down 

 of cultivation upon the slopes usually receiving a fair rainfall and 

 allow the natural gorwth to predominate. The irrigation water 

 should be conveyed, by efficient, inexpensive and speedy methods, 

 without loss in transit to the best soils on the Karroo flats. Even 



