Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. 



[lo April, 191 i. 



So long as flow is maintained, it is usuilly a matter of indifference 

 what the temperature of the air is ; though, in flat land and places where- 

 water is apt to hang, choose cool or cloudy days, or nights for preference. 

 I have often been assured by farmers that it is absolute ruin to lucerne 

 to water it when thermometer readings are high, but I do it with im- 

 punity, and am satisfied that, in most cases where bad results have fol- 

 lowed, it is due either to want of, or imperfect grading, bad arrangement 

 of the land for watering, keeping water standing too- long, or want of 

 provision for drainage. The individual can hardly be held to blame for 

 the latter as it should be provided by the authority responsible for the 

 scheme of irrigation ; the other faults are avoidable and curable. It is 

 a mistake to endeavour to water large compact tracts; they should be 

 cut up into convenient sizes by means of check banks and subsidiary 

 ditches. A plan of the subdivision of the area sown to lucerne on part 



WATERING YOUNG TREES. WYUNA IRRIGATION FARM. 



of the Wyuna Irrigation Farm is given on the opposite page. It is not 

 presented as being an ideal arrangement, though it works well in practice,, 

 but to serve to illustrate the method of dividing a paddock into small areas, 

 keeping the water moving and discharging surplus into drainage channels. 

 It will be noticed tnat the distance between ditches ranges from 2 

 to 6 chains, averaging about 3 chains, while a small area of flat land is- 

 divided by a series of checks into | acre blocks. One of the advantages 

 of this system is that fairly equal areas- for grazing may be fenced off 

 in such a manner as will suit the scheme of watering, and that by the 

 time the last block is grazed and ready for its next watering, the first 

 block is ready for use again. Or anv particular plot may be saved, and 

 the produce gathered for hay or seed ; or it may be cultivated and 

 manured should it show signs of deterioration. A study of the arrows 

 marked on the plan, which indicate the direction of flow of water, and 

 consequently the contour of the land, will give some idea of the unusual; 

 undulations of the surface, and will afford data for critici.sm. 



