22 Irrigation Farming in Australia. 



can get advice as to how to proceed readily enough from Govern- 

 ment inspectors, who prefer to see a man who can help himself; 

 (5) he is making capital all the time, for the Government will 

 advance him money on such improvements shown. 



It is unwise of any settler leaving England or America to 

 chose his block before he sails, and require a house to be ready 

 built for him when he arrives. In 99 cases out of 100 when he 

 reaches his new home he finds he would rather have had some other 

 block, or have had the house in some other position. Setting out 

 in such a way he cannot expect to be thoroughly satisfied, and many 

 English settlers' grievances in the new country have originated in 

 just this fashion. Let him have his house built by Government 

 contract if he wishes, but let it be after he arrives, and has settled 

 his preliminaries on the spot. He will probably like to see other 



VIRGIN LAND 



settlers' houses first. Until his house is ready he can live, and live 

 comfortably, in a tent. The Australian climate makes this not only 

 easy, but even pleasant. And, once again, a strong reason for doing 

 so is that most Australian settlers do it. 



As for the other work, the clearing and fencing, he should do 

 it himself, with hired assistance if necessary. When performed 

 entirely by employed labour, clearing costs anything from $1.20 to 

 $7.20 per acre, fencing costs about $8.00 a chain, channelling $0.36 to 

 $0.48 a chain, and grading and seeding for lucerne from $14.40 to 

 $19.20 an acre. 



If the settler has this work done for him a 5o-acre block will 

 probably cost him before he begins to feel it his $72.00 or so 

 (at first) for clearing, $216 for fencing, $72.00 for channeling (with 



