lo Aug. , 1909.] Dairying Possibilities in the Swan Hill District. 497 



The Soil.— Th& soil of this district may be said to be of two varieties: 

 — I. Tile flat land along the river bank which is dark in colour and 

 heavy to work. 2. The mallee soil which is light and friable, being of a 

 sandv nature. 



The flat land has apparently been formed by deposits from the floodirig 

 of the river for generations past. Both varieties of soil appear rich in 

 plant foods, particularly nitrogen. This is demonstrated by the strong 

 and rapid growth which all fodder plants make in this district when the 

 required amount of moisture is available. Both grass and fodder crops 

 appear to contain more nutriment than similar fodders in the more southerly 

 districts, the stock fattening more quickly and holding their condition 

 better on a less abundant supply. 



Method of Water Distribution.— The rainfall throughout the district 

 averages only 11 inches per annum. Artificial means have therefore to 

 be resorted to for an average supply of this most necessary element of 

 plant growth. 



The principal irrigated portion of the district is supplied by a large 

 pumping plant, situated on the :Murray, which delivers the supply into 

 several main channels. From these, the various farms are supplied by 

 gravitation through smaller channelling. The control of the system of 

 distribution is in the hands of the State Rivers and Water Supply Com- 

 mission, and farmers individually pay according to the amount of water 

 used. A large number of farms are not supplied from these channels 

 but depend on their own pumping plants. This entails considerable outlay 

 in the purchase of an engine, pump and fuel. The latter is an expensive 

 item in this district. There are also the Avages to be paid to an engine- 

 driver. Nevertheless, all this outlay is more than compensated for by the 

 results obtained from the possession of an independent supply. 



Irrigation, as practised in. this district, does not produce the best 

 results. Fanners find it difficult to get labour sufficiently skilled to apply 

 the water properly and as a result the work does not receive anything like 

 the attention it should. Preparation of the land in the form of grading 

 and levelling is only in a few instances practised. Draining also is given 

 little consideration. The combined result of overlooking these first prin- 

 ciples of irrigation is unevenness in the distribution of the water supply. 

 Patches of dry ground are seen instead of regularly moistened areas ; 

 and in other places the soil is inclined to become water logged and sour. 

 When it is con.sidered that all fodder crops, and more especially lucerne, 

 can be very easily destroyed by too much water, or bv allowing water to 

 stay on too long, it should be readily seen how important it is that the 

 operation of watering should be properly carried out. If water lies too 

 long on a crop the supply of oxygen to the plant from the atmosphere is 

 cut oft'. The growth is thereby either checked, or the plant entirely 

 Icilled. In like manner also, if the draining of the lanjd has not been 

 given proper attention, there is always a danger of the same result being 

 brought about by the over stagnation of water in the soil. 



In the mallee portion of the shire are Lake Boga and Long Lake, both 

 of which are filled from the Murray by overflow in flood seasons. From 

 Long Lake a system of channelling extends through a considerable area 

 of mallee country. Water for these channels is taken from the lake by a 

 large pumping planit and distributed by gravitation. Though this work 

 has been in existence for some three or four years, the .supply available 

 has up to the present onlv gi\en sufficient water for stock and domestic 

 purposes. It is hoped, however, that before long the supply will be im- 

 proved and the system extended to enable irrigation to be carried out. 



