NOTKS ON lliKKJATloX IN C.WE CoKONY. 85 



Tlie ci)st given is for plant and fuel only, and does not include wages 

 of engine-driver or men leading the water on the land. 



Under a pumping scheme the crop grown must be of the most 

 remunerative kind in order to obtain a fair return. Amojigst such, 

 lucerne stands in a first place as yielding a good return with ininimiun 

 of labour. Vegetables, vines and other fruits would also be suitable 

 crops. Cereals will hardly under the most favourable circumstances 

 pay for pumping. Lucerne is both a remunerative and a convenient 

 crop to irrigate by pumping on account of the regulaiitv of its re((uire- 

 ments throughout the year. It will take water regularly for about 

 nine months of the year, and under faNourable conditions will yield an 

 adequate return for each watering given. Moreover, the failui'c t<i 

 give a watering when re<iuired will generally residt only in the loss 

 of a reaping without permanent injury to the crop. 



In conjunction with the irrigation woi'ks the modeiii method oi 

 nitro-bacteriolog\', which Pi-ofessor Bottom has done so much t<i 

 expound and popularise, should be kept in view and adopted where 

 the conditions warrant. 



The capital amount which may profitably be expended in irriga- 

 tion works will of course depend upon the (luality of tlie land. As a 

 rule a larger outlay could be justified on a pumping scheme than on a 

 gravitation scheme, because in the former the water would be put 

 directly upon the best selected land only, whereas in a gravitation 

 scheme it would generally be necessary to include also much land of 

 poorer i[uality under the canal, and so the average value would be 

 lowered. 



The increase in the value of land by irrigation is very remarkable. 

 Land which could be bought for a few shillings })er acre might realise 

 as many pounds when brought under irrigation. 



Many small gravitation schemes in the country have been carried 

 out in which the capital charges amount to from 10s. to 'JOs. per aci"e 

 per annum on the total area irrigated, and land of average (juality 

 will generally be well worth the expenditure. 



Good deep soil which will grow lucerne to perfection jnay very 

 well repay annual capital charges of £o per acre, and cases me not 

 unknown in the Cape Colony where, owing to some special circum- 

 stances, moderate areas would be worth spending even more than that 

 sum on. 



Pumpi'/uj versHfi frrarifatiou. — Although we luue said that pump- 

 ing may very well be worth resorting to, of course it would be so only in 

 cases where a gravitation scheme could not be advantageously adopted. 

 Owing to the greater permanency of the gra^■itation scheme when well 

 constructed, the sinking fund would be nuich less, wjiirh wouhl, of 

 course, tend to lighten the total annual charges. 



Again, working expenses would be nuich heavier in the puuiping 

 scheme, so that the total annual charges in the pumping scheme 

 might very well be from five to six times as much per acre as they 

 would be under a favourably conditioned gravitation scheme. 



It would therefore seldom be a ipiestion for consideration, whetlier 



