irrigation Farming in Australia. 5 



covered most of the plains even as far as Menindie, on the Darling 

 and borings disclose river and lake deposits in this soil down to 

 over 1000 ft., deep. Sands and silts were carried down by the rivers, 

 and gradually filled up a vast lake caused by the rising of the sea 

 floor. The last series of deposits laid down as deltaic formation in 

 this original lake are the rich alluvial soils of the Riverina valleys, 

 to-day, which are being turned into wheatfields and orchards. 



. 



THE MURRAY VALLEY IRRIGATION AREA. 



The area embraced in the Murray system is the heart of pro- 

 ucing Australia. In the Murray province flourishes every branch 

 of agriculture and farming sheep, wheat, dairying, orchards, and 

 vineyards. Australia is aiming at making the river itself by 

 means of locks a great commercial highway into the prosperous 

 lands which the river waters, so that the vast annual wealth of 

 wheat and wool and butter and fruit may be floated down the 

 cheapest of freight channels to the markets of Australia and the 

 world outside. That is the grand idea behind the present develop- 

 ment schemes. As it is, to-day, without the required locking, the 

 Murray trading steamers serve during six months of the year a long 



GOULBURN WBIR, VICTORIA. 



line of irrigation settlements from the mouth to the South Aus- 

 tralian border and beyond. The growth of farming on the river 

 plains in the last twenty years has been enormous.. The irrigation 

 farmer, farming on smaller blocks, is gradually extending over 

 country formerly held solely by wheatgrowers and pastoralists 



