Irrigation Farming in Australia. 



21 



HOW THE IRRIGATION SETTLER BEGINS. 



For the most part the irrigation areas which have been 

 described are closer settlement schemes under Government control. 

 Indeed, it may be said that all the young settlements are to-day 

 Government settlements. This is necessarily so, for the State 

 Governments, without exception, have in recent years bought up 

 many large private holdings for subdivision into closer settlement 

 farms, and especially has this been the case on the river frontages. 



The areas of the settlers' blocks are usually between 30 and 60 

 acres, with 50 as an average.. This land is ready to be connected 

 with the neighbouring main irrigation canal, but the settler must 

 himself clear it of timber, fence it, and provide it with his own 

 private watering channels. Photographs taken on the spot and 

 herein published show what this country looks like. In no case is 

 the country heavily timbered, and frequently the clearing is the 

 lightest work of all, especially where the trees are already dead. 



If the settler has capital enough he can, of course, hire labour 

 to clear and fence his land, plough it, grade it, put in his channels, 

 &c. He will be best advised to do this himself, however, wherever 

 possible for at least five reasons: (i) He will find generally that, 

 however much capital he may start with, he never does have money 



SURVEYING IRRIGATION AREAS. 



he can easily spare for this luxury; (2) by doing it himself he is 

 teaching himself, and is acquiring an added satisfaction with his 

 own work any way ; (3) he will find that all his neighbours do their 

 own grubbing work, and they like him better if he does his ; (4) he 



