26o -A^^TF SOUTH WALES. 



California. Irrigation witli artesian ^vater for raising all kinds of fruit, lucerne, veget- 

 ables, and to a small extent of grain, has been practised for years, and can be looked on as 

 a permanent success. This water, however, is generally too valuable for cultivation of 

 grain, and is mostly devoted to the intense cultivation, now so largely carried on in fruit 

 growing districts. 



Engineer William Hall iu his report on Ferris Irrigation District, 

 dated August, 1891, states : 



IJetween ISSO and 1SS4 the canal of the Riverside Colony Avas a line of demarcation 

 between land worth no more in the market tlian 10 dollars (£2) per acre, and other readily 

 saleable at 250 dollars (£50) per acre. Those above the canal were without irrigation, and 

 there was but a vague hope of ever securing it. But the building of the Upper Riverside 

 or (iage Canal (source from artesian wells) in 18S5-6 made water rights available for these 

 upper lands, they paid a big bonus for the water privilege, and are now selling at 200 

 dollars (£40) to 500 dollars (£100) per acre, without improvements. 



It may also be of some interest to quote from the report of Professor 

 Hill, Geologist for Texas, New Mexico and Indian Territory, U.S.A. 

 He points out that there are over 1,000 flowing wells in Texas, and 

 adds '' their vast capability and adaptibility for making secure agricul- 

 ture, always rendered uncertain under high temperature, has not become 

 a matter of general understanding." Ho further adds that in the 

 development of such wells their use for irrigation was not dreamed of 

 originally, but that now they are being widely utilized. It may not 

 perhaps be generally known that the celebrated fruit ranch of River- 

 side, San Bernardino Co., S. California, derives a portion of its water 

 supply from artesian wells, and which works are known as the '^ Gage" 

 system. There ai-e 12,000 acres under fruit, served by 38 artesian 

 wells. The success of this system has encouraged others, and there 

 is now in progress another undertaking of a similar nature known as 

 the Whittier system, located in the Upper San Gabriel Valley, Los 

 Angelos Co., comprising 14 artesian wells. The works consist of 11 

 miles of cement conduit, bottom width 4 feet for a distance of 9 miles, 

 and G,200 feet of fluming on piles and trestles. In the San Luis 

 Valley there are 3,700 flowing wells. The Alamosa Town well in this 

 valley is described as the principal source for the 30 miles of irrigating 

 ditches within the corporate limits of Alamosa. 



In Utah the artesian wells in the Salt Lake Valley were first used 

 for irrigation about eight years ago, since then the area of cultivation 

 has increased from 25 to 35 per cent. 



To go nearer home, in Hawaii, on the margin of Pearl Harbour, 

 20,000 acres of rice and large areas of bananas are under irrigation 

 from artesian wells, in addition to which they provide power for 

 several large mills. The immense strides in Algeria are perhaps too 

 well-known to refer to. All these facts are distinct encouragement to 

 us liere, and it is marvellous that so little is being done by private 

 enterprise in this direction, and few recognise the immense value of 

 the water now being poured ahnlcssly on the thirsty soil of the 

 western districts. 



_ The following return showing the extent of the Department's opera- 

 tions from the inception of the contract system up to the present time, 

 will give some idea of the magnitude of the work. The bores are 

 directly reproductive to a certain extent, while the indirect benefit 



