15 Oct., 1919. 



Pear (Jrowing in Victoria. 



593 



■erosion, which soon took place after the drain was made, thus shoAving 

 that a eonsiderahle amount of surface water, which would have adversely 

 affected the orchard, was carried off by the drain. In all cases where 

 orchards are established on hillsides with higher ground above them, 

 it is advisable to protect them from the surface flow of water and seepage 

 in the manner described. 



Within the planted area much good will be done by ploughing up 

 to the trees in autumn, and making a deep furrow down the centre of 

 the rows with the slope, and the beneficial effects of the drainage system 

 enhanced. 



Making the Ditch and Laying Tiles. 



The work of preparing ditches for drains is sometimes interfered 

 with by the presence of rock, in which case it is impossible to form a 





Plate 23.— Open drain on orchard hill side. 



satisfactory ditch for the tiles where the rock is near the surface. As 

 such obstruction generally exists only in a small part of the orchard, 

 the best way to deal with it is by blasting, as was suggested when dealing 

 with subsoiling. In this way, a permanent outlet for surplus water, is 

 made. 



The main expense of drainage work is in the excavation of the 

 ditches. Unfortunately, owing to the exacting nature of the operation, 

 hand work is necessary for the major portion of the work. 



When commencing the work of ditch-making, the work can .be 

 minimized by ploughing a deep furrow along the drainage line with a 

 single-furrow plough. A Syracuse plough is a handy implement for 

 this purpose, as its construction lends itself to deep work, and with it. 

 the soil may be stirred to a depth of 15 inches by repeating the ploughing 



