CHAPTER II 

 SELECTING THE LAND 



Although on the whole the great proportion of 

 the land on the various irrigation settlements is of 

 first-class quality, there are still patches of second- 

 class soil scattered about among the better land, as 

 nature seems to have ordained , that no large tract 

 of land shall be of an absolutely uniform character. 

 Prospective fruit-growers would therefore be well 

 advised, before taking up a piece of land from the 

 perusal of a plan, to take a trip up the river and view 

 the land for themselves. There is nothing like see- 

 ing the country to judge the possibilities of it, which 

 no mere looking at plans can give. 



Should the would-be settler not be able to inspect 

 the land at the time, the next best thing for him to 

 do is to get an experienced irrigationist one with 

 local experience for preference to examine the land 

 for him, and follow his advice. By this means, 

 should the prospective settler be destitute of irri- 

 gation experience, it is possible for him to make a 

 better choice of a piece of land than if left to his 

 own judgment. The best plan, however, would be 

 for him to view the land in company with an expe- 

 rienced local irrigationist, who could point out to 

 him the merits or defects of any blocks, and he 

 could then make his choice. 



CHOICE OF SITE. 



As one of the greatest drawbacks on an irrigation 

 area is the menace of seepage, land that is full of hol- 

 lows, or that has a heavy sub-soil, should not be 



