284 THE IRK 2 GA TION A GK 



They were mostly inexperienced in tne art of irrigation and success- 

 ful fruit-growing; and this, together with the failure of water-supply 

 to the planted blocks at a critical period, caused general disappoint- 

 ment. The management was taken out of the hands of the Chaffey 

 Bros., and the firm financially collapsed. The reasons of the failure 

 may be briefly stated as (1) Want of capital; (2) errors in laying out 

 the settlement want of compactness; (3) indiscriminate sale of land; 

 (4) seepage from main channel; (5) bad stocks, insufficient water sup- 

 ply, and defective means of communication, and the want of experi- 

 ence as far as the settlers themselves were concerned. 



The collapse of Chaffey Bros., however, does not imply the fail- 

 ure altogether of Mildura as as irrigation settlement. Although the 

 greater portion of the planted land cannot, as yet, be said to be in full 

 bearing, some of the settlers have made substantial profits during the 

 last two or three years; as much as 430 has been realized from a ten- 

 acre block. 



The quality of the raisins, dried apricots, canned peaches, and 

 other fruits cannot be excelled. The olive also flourishes at Mildura, 

 and excellent oil is now being made. The fig also grows remarkably 

 well, and the prospects of some of the settlers are very good. 



NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Irrigation in this colony has never been put on a proper basis. A 

 bill was prepared by Mr. Lyne in 1892, entitled "The Water Con- 

 servation Bill," but was not passed by Parliament. This bill dealt 

 with the definition of water-rights, national administration, local 

 trusts, drainage works, navigation, etc. 



Before irrigation can be successfully adopted, a bill, similar to 

 this, must be passed by the Legislature. In many parts of New South 

 Wales irrigation is carried out with great success. Mr. H. G. McKin- 

 ney, chief engineer for water conservation, has stated, "There was 

 certainly abundant evidence that the pastoralists were not wanting in 

 enterprise in providing water for irrigation." 



During the years 1889, 1890 and 1891 prizes were awarded by the 

 government for the best irrigated farms and orchards. The compet- 

 itors west of the Dividing Range represented properties on the 

 Namoi, Lachlan and Murrumbidgee Rivers; those east of the Divid- 

 ing Range represented the Hawkesbury, the Parramatta, and the 

 Bega districts. The properties which were entered showed in a num- 

 ber of instances a highly creditable class of work, and showed also 

 that irrigators had the ability and judgment to select the methods 

 best adapted to their circumstances. 



The municipal councils of Wentworth, Hay and Balranald have 

 been constituted an Irrigation Trust by a special act of Parliament 



