II Nov., 1912.] Irrigation in the Early Days. 659 



destroyed before the grain has had time to ripen; and, again, the whole 

 of the summer is lost, so far as production or vegetation is concerned. 

 During the very months when the glowing heat of the sun would, with 

 abundance of moisture, force and stimulate the most luxuriant vegetation, 

 the whole face of the land is scorched and burnt up. The peculiarities 

 of our climate, no doubt, ari.se, in great measure, from the vast extent 

 of land we have on the one hand, and a wide ocean on the other. Any 

 summer rains we have are not of much value, for the periods between one 

 rainfall and another are so long that we have not only no summer vegeta- 

 tion, but the withered grass and dry herbage of the previous spring months 

 are, in our opinion, often much damaged. 



"If at any future time in the liistory of Victoria a general system of 

 irrigation should be adopted and carried out, the greatest advantages 

 would be gained by the agriculturists; and it is probable that the climate 

 will become completely changed from a dry region to a land of showers 

 and clouds and thunderstorms. 



" Two days ago we paid a hurried visit to the farm of S. Ricardo, 

 Esq., on the Yarra, near Heidelberg, for the purpose of inspecting his 

 Avorks for irrigating his land. That gentleman deserves very great credit 

 for his enterprise in being the first in this Colony to employ irrigation 

 on an extensive scale; but it is highly probable the undoubted gain the 

 scheme will yield to him will come first, the credit afterwards. 



" Mr. Ricardo's farm is 185 acres in extent, situated on the south bank 

 of the Yarra, opposite to Heidelberg, and consists of two descriptions of 

 soil — one of rich alluvial river flats, the other of sandy, undulating ground, 

 with a clay substratum, bedded on rock of silurian formation. The 

 highest ground is 120 feet above the river, and on it is formed the reser- 

 voir, which will, when full, contain 523,000 gallons. This reservoir is 

 simply a square excavation, of about 30 yards by 60, and 5 or 6 feet 

 deep. The soil and clay stripped from the rock form an embankment 

 on all sides. From the engine-house, which stands by the river bank, a 

 main pipe, sunk beneath the surface, leads the water up to the reservoir. 

 To perform this work, a 12 -horse-power engine, with double action pump, 

 is provided. It was intended that this engine should force up 200 gallons 

 per minute, but it has not been able to do this. Of course, the resistance 

 to be overcome at each stroke is great — equal to about 60 lb. per square 

 inch in 120 feet of elevation. Over a considerable extent of the rich 

 river flats piping has been laid 2 feet under the surface, with plugs at 

 intervals of 78 yards, so that two men with a hose can throw the water 

 over the whole extent of intervening ground, and for this portion of the 

 farm the water need not be taken from the reservoir, but may be supplied 

 direct from the engine. In applying the water in this way, it, as a 

 matter of course, falls upon the growing crop, and, under a burning sun, 

 might be supposed likely to injure it ; but such is not the case. Mr. 

 Ricardo states that the water falling on the plants, even under the hottest 

 sun, does them no harm whatever. Probably it is the radiation and reflec- 

 tion of heat from perfectly dry ground in the neighbourhood of plants 

 that usually injures them if watered during sunshine. 



" This mode of irrigation has been greatly recommended by Mr. 

 Mechi, of Tiptree Farm. Mr. Ricardo, however, finds that it is a very 

 imperfect method ; that, in short, the supply is never equal to the demand ; 

 that the ground is no sooner watered than it requires to be watered again. 

 Besides, he finds that the surface becomes caked by applying water from 



