Irrigation Farming in Australia 



33 



At Renmark and Mildura irrigated fruit areas of 5000 and 

 12,000 acres respectively the value of the annual produce of dried 

 apricots, peaches, pears, raisins, and currants is about $2,736,000.00 

 per annum. But this does not take into consideration lucerne and 

 fodder crops, and the orange and olive orchards and these settle- 

 ments are noted for their oranges also are naturally not included. 

 A fair estimate of the " dried fruit acreage" at these two places 

 would probably be 70 per cent, of the whole 17,000 acres, or 12,000 

 acres, which makes the annual yield of the " dried fruit acreage" 

 about $240.00 an acre. 



The Government irrigation areas will probably not dry their 

 fruit produce, but can it instead. The State authorities are con- 

 structing canning factories for both fruit and vegetables, and these 

 factories will in time be taken over by the farmers on the co- 

 operative principle, just as the butter factories have been. No 

 private firm or trust will be allowed to deal with the produce of these 

 settlements, and make dividends for themselves out of the farmers' 

 hard work. The New South Wales Government has already built 

 butter, bacon, and canning factories at Leeton (Yanco). Similar 

 factories are planned for Rochester and Shepparton in Victoria. 



Vegetable-growing, too, is well worth w'hile at these places, 

 especially on the smaller blocks near the town.. Several farmers 

 at Bamawm, near Rochester, are making a handsome living already 

 hy growing cabbages, potatoes, onions, peas, and beans for the 

 township and the surrounding district. One man made $384.00 last 



THE IRRIGATION FARMER MAKES A START WITH DAIRYING. 



year out of a strawberry bed of half an acre. At Yanco special 

 " workmen's blocks" of 2 acres, placed nearest in to the township, 

 have been divided off, and the idea is that ordinary labourers, who 

 do not wish to take up irrigation farming on a bigger scale, but 



