CHAPTER XVIII 



COST OF BRINGING AN ORCHARD OR VINE- 

 YARD INTO BEARING ON STATE IRRI- 

 GATION AREAS OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 



To estimate the amount of capital required to 

 bring an orchard or vineyard into bearing is a some- 

 what difficult subject, as the price of material and of 

 labour 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 BerYi data. In the following 

 calculations the ost of labour and material have 

 been estimated at normal pre-war prices, as the pre- 

 sent abnormal prices especially for material can- 

 not be taken as a standard upon which to base fair 

 average costs. 



As this chapter is chiefly written for new settlers 

 on the State irrigation areas along the Murray 

 Valley in South Australia, it has been taken for 

 granted that the assistance of the Irrigation De- 

 partment in fencing, grading, grubbing, and chan- 

 neling has been availed of. Where this has not 

 been done the initial outlay will probably be 

 increased by 10 per acre. 



The subject has been divided into three headings 

 of vines, deciduous trees, and oranges, vines being 

 dealt with first. 



