CHAPTER I 



THE CLIMATIC AND GEOGRAPHICAL 

 CONDITIONS OF THE MURRAY VALLEY 



THE MURRAY. 



The Murray, the largest river in Australia, has its 

 source in the Snowy Mountains, near Mt. Kos- 

 ciusko. With the help of its chief tributaries, the 

 Darling, the Murrumbidgee, Goulburn, Mitta, 

 Ovens, Campaspe, and Lodden, the Murray attains 

 a river of large dimensions in its lower course, being 

 at high river navigable for river boats for a distance 

 of about one thousand miles from its mouth. With 

 the completion of the inter-State locking scheme, the 

 Murray will be rendered permanently navigable for 

 the greater portion of its length. Along its banks 

 are situated the two most successful irrigation 

 colonies in Australia Mildura and Renmark ; while 

 the newer irrigation settlements of Merebein, Berri, 

 and Waikerie, are showing every indication of a 

 successful future. 



NATURE OF MURRAY LANDS. 



The land suitable for fruit growing along the 

 Murray consists of two distinct sections : the river 

 flats and the high lands. 



The river flats consist of alluvial soil deposited 

 by the river in the course of ages. These flats are, 

 on the whole, fairly level, but usually contain 

 numerous small local irregularities, which have to 

 be graded off before the land can be planted. The 



