Irrigation in Asia 81 



ber of wells, which supply from 4,000 to 6,000 gallons each 24 

 hours. 



In the Indus valley, there are many small canals, ranging 

 from 8 to 16 miles in length, having a sum total of 709 miles, 

 which supply water to 214,000 acres. Three other important 

 systems supply 411,000 acres, with a total length of channel 

 amounting to 1,479 mi IPS. The Lahore branch of the Bari-Doab 

 canal irrigates 523,000 acres, besides supplying the water needed 

 by 1,352 villages. The cost of these works in 1889-90 had reached 

 $7,872,000, while the year's net proceeds of the water supply was 

 $873,000, with an associated expenditure of $288,000. 



In the province of Orissa, with an area of 24,000 square miles 

 and a population of 4,250,000, there were, in 1889-90, 511,000 

 acres of land under the canal systems, ready for irrigation. 



Aside from these Anglo-Indian enterprises to which reference 

 has been made, Hinton states that the native or independent 

 states of India comprise two-thirds of the peninsula, and that 

 their peoples are extensive irrigators. The most advanced of 

 these states, viewed from the standpoint of agriculture and irri- 

 gation, is Jaipur, with an area of 14,463 square miles and a 

 population of 2,500,000. It has 108 separate systems of irrigation 

 works, with 364 miles of main canals and 422 miles of distribu- 

 taries. In the native state of Mysore, there are 1,000 miles of 

 irrigation canals and 20,000 village tanks. 



In the island of Ceylon, a decided effort has been and is being 

 ade to restore and to extend the ancient irrigation systems, 

 hich have been allowed to fall into ruin. The British authori- 

 ties in 1891 had already restored 2,250 of the small and 59 of the 

 large tanks or reservoirs ; they have constructed 245 wiers and 

 700 miles of canals. There are now over 5,000 ancient reser- 

 voirs in the island, and one king, in the twelfth century, is 

 credited with having had constructed 4,770 tanks and 543 great 

 canals. 



In Australia, work seems to be largely prospective as yet, with 

 but few results actually attained. But there are some 500,000 

 acres in Victoria to be served by irrigation works which are in 

 progress. In New South Wales, the amount of land in 1891 



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