15 Nov., 1919.] Directions in which Agriculture may he Developed. 647 



The second method available for increasing the stock-carrying 

 capacity of the State is to increase the area sown to forages for feeding 

 down to stock. In Victoria, barely 50,000 acres are sown to forage 

 crops for feeding down to sheep. In Xew Zealand, which carries double 

 the number of sheep, no less than 1,000,000 acres are sown to forage 

 crops, and 5,000,000 acres of land have been ploughed up and sown to 

 permanent pasture. Yet, less than 40 years ago, Victoria carried more 

 sheep than New Zealand. 



The development of our irrigated lands opens up a fine prospect for 

 increasing the stock-carrying capacity of the State, and providing an 

 additional insurance against drought. Substantial development has 

 taken place in irrigation. In 1902, the total storages in the State 

 amounted to 172,000 acre-feet. The present storage amounts to 562,000 

 acre-feet, which provides water for 250,000 acres of irrigable land. 

 When the existing storages are completed, the quantity of impounded 

 water will exceed 1,000,000 acre-feet. 



After years of contentious discussion, the States of New South 

 Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, and the Federal Government have 

 come to an agreement regarding the utilization of the Murray waters, 

 and these Governments, acting co-operatively, propose spending 

 £5,000,000 in providing a series of storages. What a remarkable prospect 

 is opened up by a consideration of the possibilities of the Murray lands ! 

 The settlement at Mildura is an inspiring example of what can be done 

 by the application of irrigation water -to arid districts. Prior to the 

 advent of irrigation, Mildura was a sheep walk, supporting at most a few" 

 families on the whole area. To-day, the 12,000 acres included in thf 

 settlement support in comfort a population of 6,000, and the annual 

 production exceeds £600,000 in value. Settlers are prosperous, and the 

 settlement enjoys a high standard of comfort, and reaps all the educa- 

 tional and social advantages of a compact and closely-knit community. 



It would, perhaps, be extravagant to say that the 1,500,000 acres of 

 irrigable land to be opeJied up in the Murray Valley by the construction 

 of new storages under the Murray Waters Act, can be expected to equal 

 Mildura in out-turn per acre, for Mildura confines itself to specialized 

 fruits, for which there is a limited demand at current prices. But tlieso 

 new lands may be expected to carry immense numbers of live stock, and 

 will be similar to many of the prosperous irrigation settlements through- 

 out A^ustralia. 



Lucerne. 



The crop which may be expected to be grown most largely will be 

 lucerne. Lucerne has well been named the King of Fodders, and thf 

 greatest mortgage-lifter yet discovered, for if the soil conditions are 

 suitable, there is no forage crop that can equal it in out-turn per acre. 

 Lucerne plays a very prominent part in feeding live stock in the Argen- 

 tine, and it is the universal forage for stock in Western America. ]S]c 

 less than 5,000,000 acres have been sown in the United States to lucerne, 

 and the greater part of this is irrigated. There are some 100,000 acres 

 under lucerne in Victoria, the greater part of which is on the irrigated 

 settlements. But there are many areas in Gippsland, Western District, 

 and in the North-east, where it will thrive and give heavy yields without 

 irrigation. On the Werribee Research Farm, we have been growing 

 lucerne under irrigation for six years. The average yield during that 



