49 



CHAPTEB XIV. 



COST OF BRINGING A CITRUS PLANTATION 

 INTO BEARING ON STATE IRRIGATION 

 AREAS OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 



To estimate the amount of capital required to 

 bring a citrus plantation into bearing is a some- 

 what difficult subject, as the price of material and of 

 labor is a fluctuating quantity, and, further, owing 

 to the fact that the expenses per acre will vary with 

 every holding, as no two pieces of land will cost the 

 same to clear, grub, grade, and to maintain in good 

 condition. However, a rough average, both on the 

 capital outlay and upon the income per acre, can be 

 struck, and the estimates here drawn up have been 

 chiefly compiled from Berri data. 



As the price of labor, material, water rates, etc., 

 have greatly risen since the beginning of the war, 

 and as this increase in prices shows no immediate 

 likelihood of falling, the estimates here drawn up 

 show an advance on those quoted in my book, Fruit- 

 growing under Irrigation, which were compiled 

 according to normal pre-war costs. 



As this chapter is chiefly written for new settler* 

 on the State irrigation areas along the Murray 

 Valley in South Australia, it has been taken for 

 granted that the assistance of the Irrigation Depart- 

 ment in fencing, grading, grubbing, and channelling 

 has been availed of. Where this has not been done, 

 the initial outlay will probably be increased by 10 

 per acre. 



