36o Report S.A.A. Advancement of Science. 



congenial to it. A reasonable amount of State assistance in the 

 development of agriculture will be most acceptable to it, and in turn 

 will benefit the mining community by reducing the cost of living. 

 One of the best forms of such assistance is the construction of irriga- 

 tion works, the capital cost of which is beyond the means of private 

 persons. At the same time, as such expenditure should be produc- 

 tive, its disbursement will not tend to pauperise the people. The 

 Dutch are a prolific race, and unless increased means of agriculture, 

 such as irrigation affords, are placed at their disposal, it is almost 

 certain that the existing poor white population will be increased. This 

 has always been recognised in South Africa as an element of danger 

 to the State, and particularly so because the larger proportion of 

 the population is a coloured one. Before the war there was special 

 legislation on this subject ; even now, cases have occurred in which 

 poor Boers have ploughed lands for Kafiirs. 



Without irrigation it will be practically impossible to establish 

 settlements of British and Dutch. To plant British settlers out at 

 long distances from each other on separate farms will be of little 

 use in preserving their characteristics, the retention of which is so 

 desirable. 



These are the broad political considerations which justify the 

 extension of irrigation, as required by the development of the coun- 

 try. It is, however, sincerely to be hoped that irrigation will not 

 be prostituted to party considerations, for, if it is, experience has 

 shown that its progress will inevitably be retarded, and its benefits 

 diminished. 



7. The Main Classes of Irrigation Works. 



In regard to their size, irrigation works may be thus classified : — 

 Small works — to be constructed by private enterprise ; 

 Medium-sized works — to be carried out by Water Boards and 

 Associations of Farmers ; 



Large works — to be executed by individual Colonies under State 

 management ; 



First-class works — to be prosecuted by Inter-Colonial State 

 agency. 



These classes of works are not competitive with each other ; they 

 are, in fact, complementary to each other. Each of them has its 

 own particular use, and is peculiarly adapted to the development of 

 areas which cannot suitably be dealt with by the others. The 

 advantages and disadvantages of each class will now be described 

 shortly. 



8. Small Works. 



These, as a rule, will be small storage reservoirs, and furrows 

 led from springs and small perennial or semi-perennial streams. 



