CHAPTER III 



GETTING THE LAND READY FOR 

 PLANTING 



CLEARING, FENCING, PLOUGHING. 



The expenses of clearing will, of course, vary 

 according to the nature and density of the natural 

 vegetation. Blue-bush land is easily cleared, and 

 will cost about 1 per acre to clear. Box lands, as 

 well as pine and mallee country, are considerably 

 more expensive to grub, varying from about 2 to 

 6 per acre, according to the size and density of the 

 natural growth. For the grubbing of the more 

 heavily timbered lands grubbing machines and tree- 

 pullers are usually used, and on some of the Govern- 

 ment irrigation areas steam traction engines are 

 employed in pulling out the trees and stumps. 



To protect the orchard from the ravages of rabbits 

 and stock it is necessary to enclose the plantation 

 with a good substantial wire fence, with 3 feet wire 

 netting. At normal prices for material, a 4 ft. high 

 fence, posts 12 ft. apart, four wires, and wire-netted, 

 will cost about 60 per mile. After the land has 

 been cleared it should be deeply ploughed to loosen 

 the soil and to get rid of the roots of the native 

 tree which occupied the land. The cost of a~ first 

 deep ploughing will be about 1 per acre. 



GRADING. 



As it is essential for the success of an irrigated 

 orchard that there should be an uninterrupted flow 

 of the irrigation water, all irregularities of the sur- 



