Irrigation in the Union. 67? 



Irrigation Boards, for wliicli purpose a uimiber of uew and very large 

 districts Jiave had to be constituted. 



The extent to wbiek the Government's policy of conservation has 

 been developed is gaug-ed by the fact that there are at present eleven 

 large conservation projects launched on the co-operative principle 

 (that is, co-operative groups of farmers under the control and supervi- 

 sion of the Irrigation Department), which are either under construc- 

 tion or about to be commenced, and all are to be built by means of 

 loans approved by Parliament. These loans aggi^egate 2j million 

 sterling, and the rateable area of irrigable land to be served by these 

 schemes amounts to 88,000 morgen. Altogether the total amount of 

 public money wliicli, since 1914, Parliament has agreed to invest in 

 conservation schemes of this nature is 3i million sterling, and the 

 total area which will be irrigated by them is approximately 120,000 

 morgen. 



Assistance to Farmers. 



Further in the course of his report, the Director refers to the 

 large number of cases in which informal advice on irrigation matters 

 is given to farmers by circle engineers, which bears much indirect 

 fruit tending generally to promote irrigation development. Reference 

 is also made to the provision under Section 6 of the Irrigation Act for 

 the furnishing of advice to bona fide farmers at very low fees. Since 

 1914 the number of cases in which professional advice was given to 

 farmers and public bodies was 1062. 



The enhanced price of material and the higher prices paid to 

 drillmen have raised considerably the cost to Government of drilling, 

 and it must be recognized that under existing conditions the assistance 

 rendered to farmers (for which no increased charge is made) in this 

 very important matter is substantial. Generally, the operations of 

 the boring branch were adversely affected during the year by shortage 

 of technical staff and the high cost of tools and consumable stores. 

 The influenza epidemic, combined with comparatively early rains in 

 September 1918, was principally responsible for a diminished demand 

 for boring from farmers, but nevertheless during the year 252 bore- 

 holes were completed for farmers, municipalities, and the Railway 

 Administration, the average depth being 138 feet, an increase of 21 

 feet on the previous year ; the average daily yield per borehole increas- 

 ing from 19,000 to 24,800 gallons, indicating that better results may 

 generally be expected from deeper boring. 



It may be mentioned that, according to information received from 

 the Irrigation Department, the interesting fact is established that the 

 success of the boring- branch has been marked, for of all the drilling 

 operations undertaken by it something like 10 per cent, only have 

 been failures. 



The report deals in detail with the various matters falling under 

 the jurisdiction of the Irrigation Department and with the many 

 schemes on which it is now employed. It affords a comprehensive 

 view of irrigation enterprise in South Africa, a subject of arresting 

 interest to a country of uncertain rainfall and of vast extents of arid 

 land. 



