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THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



The Bungalow, Ballendella P. O. 



Victoria, Australia, Feb. 13, 1913. 

 Editor, THE IRRIGATION AGE, 



Chicago, 111. 



Dear Sir : I am obliged for your kindness in noting my 

 remarks in the columns of your valuable journal, and I trust 

 that any data I may send to you from this part of the world 

 may lead to a feeling of good fellowship amongst all con- 

 cerned, and be to the mutual advantage of both countries. 

 Out here, we at present are as children compared to you, 

 in the matter of irrigation, but we have behind us those 

 who, so long as we display energy and resourcefulness, will 

 not see us go to the wall through lack of assistance, and it 

 is mainly to give your readers an idea of the general condi- 

 tions and chances in this country I now write this article 

 for your journal, and should any of your readers contemplate 

 coming to try their luck here I think it well at the outset to 

 state that I hold no brief for those in authority here, nor 

 are they aware of my having written you or of my writing 

 this. I simply intend to give the plain, unvarnished truth, 

 which generally holds its own anywhere, but seeing that this 

 state is advertising its facilities, I felt sure that a message 

 from one who is upon the land and in the irrigation area of 

 Victoria must be in a better position to state what his experi- 

 ence has been and what the possible prospects are. Person- 

 ally, I am acquainted with the States' agent out your way, 

 and who is advertising in your AGE, "Mr. Fricke," and I 

 cannot but speak highly of the care and attention he bestowed 

 upon me and mine when landing here, and upon all others in 

 like position to mine, and the same spirit still hangs round 

 his late position here. I am sure he will admit that although 

 theoretically he knows this state and people from A to Z, 

 yet he cannot speak of the land as I, in my humble way, can, 

 having been upon it now for two years, and though I cannot 

 assume to be, as one might say, "as yet out of the wood," 

 still I am beginning to feel my feet and to see and become 

 assured that in the near future I will at least be making a 

 paying concern of my undertaking, then the rest, given 

 health and strength, will be sure to follow. Men your way 

 will want to know the capital necessary to make a success 

 here, men of experience in farming and irrigation should 

 do with less than others, but then it must be borne in mind 

 that conditions in one country are rarely the same as another. 

 The capital I think necessary is $2,000 and should prove suf- 

 ficient, that is, that amount in hand landing here. Of course, 

 if one has a little more, no harm done. Personally. I took 

 up land with less than half of that amount but I had been 

 in this country before, though not on the land as an irrigator, 

 and owing to circumstances over which I had no control, 

 perhaps I became better versed in making little go further 

 than most people, I having a large family to keep. After 

 landing in Melbourne I attended at the lands office, saw the 

 plans and was given my choice of securing one of the blocks 

 up here. I arranged for my family to remain in Melbourne, 

 and my eldest boy and self came right up here and went into 

 tents until my house was erected. I may here state that the 

 government assisted me largely towards the keep of my 

 family in Melbourne during the time I was in tents, having 

 promised same to me before coming up and they fulfilled it, 

 upon my application. Having stated that $2.000 would suffice 

 for an intending settler, so with my two years' experience 

 I make bold to give an idea how that amount might be 

 utilized to the best advantage, basing my amounts upon the 

 way I used mv small portion, and my present position, through 

 so doing. Therefore the following is what I consider the 

 best way to utilize one's money, as it shows practically now 

 what I have got together after two years, beginning as I 

 said with only half the amount and am specifying for: Out- 

 buildings, $150. Stock, say twelve good cows at $35 equals 

 $420; pigs, four at $3.75 equals $15; horse=. two. one at $125 

 and one at $100 equals $225; bull, $30; fencing wire and posts, 

 say $100. Rolling stock, buggv. second-hand, $80; spring cart, 

 second-hand, $45 ; .rwagon, $50. Implements, plow, double 

 furrow, $45 ; plow, single furrow, $19 ; set harness. $20 ; 

 A-grader and leveler, $6 ; horse hoe cultivator, $12 ; swingle bars 

 four, $3; cream separator, hand, $75. Sundries, harness, $40; 

 ''airy utensils and tools. $25 ; furniture ware and ironmongery, 

 $125; deposit on land say $125, and possible contingen- 

 cies. $50. all giving a total of $1.650. leaving a balance to 

 bank of $350 out of the sum total. $2,000. so as to meet future 

 rates, rents, etc. Of course, some of the things mentioned 



may be got for less, but I have given the prices as near as 

 possible with the exception of those marked x, which one 

 could make oneself, as I did, and then all the amount quoted 

 for fencing might not be needed, as fences might be there, etc. 

 Still, I consider it best to be on the safe side and any careful 

 man will put away what surplus he may gather for tlie future, 

 but the things I have mentioned are necessary as a whole 

 to make a success and cannot well be done without. So, 

 presuming one has started as I have planned and having his 

 twelve cows in full milk, his returns from that alone should 

 be not less than $15 to $18 a week, on an average, for the 

 year this return should make things easy as a working basis 

 to start. The conditions of agreement on taking land here 

 are by no means harsh, as the improvements necessary for 

 any man to make his place habitable are accounted for in 

 my statement, and more than covers the government's re- 

 quirements. One is required to reside eight out of the twelve 

 months as long as he is lessee of the place. Well, anyone 

 to succeed at all, anywhere, must of necessity do that. I fail 

 to find anything to cavil at, in any way, unless one wants 

 to find fault, and that can be done anywhere. The govern- 

 ment here erects your house for you, if wanted. Say it 

 costs $1,000, well, they give you fifteen years to pay it off, 

 and if you want such work done, they will plow, etc.. and 

 seed a portion of your land for you, but no man of experience 

 in farming would get it done, as one can always do these 

 things cheaper oneself. So, concluding a settler takes a 

 50-acre block at $60 per acre, or $3,000 for the lot, he has 

 to pay at the rate of six per cent for thirty-one and one-half 

 years, which amount covers the principal and interest, and 

 pays outright for it in that period, so his total payments 

 per annum would be : Land, $180 ; house, that is, presuming 

 lie takes advantage of the government's offer to build him 

 one, $65 ; water rate, at $1.20 per acre, $50 on say forty out 

 of the fifty acres, ten being unirrigable ; other rates, $10 ; 

 insurance on house and outbuildings, say $15; total, $320 

 per acre, which includes everything. To meet this he has a 

 practical certainty of at least $15 a week coming in from his 

 cows, which alone should leave him a balance of $430 to 

 provide food, etc. So now, having started the intending set- 

 tler in the state of Victoria on a financially sound footing, 

 on what should spell success, I will, Mr. Editor, close this 

 article for this issue, having given what I consider the main 

 principles to work upon. In my next article, with your per- 

 mission, I will state what fodder, etc., it is best to start 

 planting, and explain as near as I can how I have got along 

 the road with but half the capital herein stated. Therefore, 

 in concluding this, I will say, anyone that comes here, with 

 farming experience, etc., must get on. Why? Because he is 

 sure of getting all reasonable help from the government and 

 their experts, and one great point to bear in mind, when one 

 comes, is to place implicit confidence in those in authority 

 and not to be led away by others. I say, start by trusting 

 and the trust will be mutual avoid pinpricking work on 

 broad, honest, hard working lines. We are all liable to error. 

 Believe that any errors the heads may make will be rectified. 

 Only let them see a man is a worker, or in other words, 

 start to make a name and character, and that done, every- 

 thing else fits in, as once the heads see and learn the above 

 about a man I am quite confident no reasonable wishes will go 

 unheeded, not only by the government, but by the people of 

 the state. The climate here is considered Al. the people 

 are grand, the soil will, with water, grow anything, and the 

 markets that are in existence are about to be rapidly sup- 

 plemented by others necessary for the growing requirements 

 of the new settlers. Farmers and irrigators are wanted here, 

 and will be welcomed. And finally, I can only say in closing 

 this first article that if ever a man has made a mistake on 

 the right side he will do so by coming here, as I speak with 

 a keen sense of the favors that have on all sides been 

 bestowed upon me and mine. In the meantime, until my next 

 appears, should any of your readers wish for further par- 

 ticulars, if they will write to me addressed as herein. I shall 

 be only too pleased to write and give them. I am, 

 Yours faithfully, 



THOMAS BUNBURY. 



Send $1.00 for 1 year's subscription to the IRRIGA- 

 TION AGE and bound copy of THE PRIMER OF IRRIGA- 

 TION. If you desire a copy of The Primer of Hy- 

 draulics add $2.50 to above price. 



