THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



277 



Valley, wherein is, commanded an area of over 

 1,000,000 acres. Much of this land has been subdi- 

 vided during the past two years and successful set- 

 tlements are revealed in all directions. All of the 

 water in the rivers and lakes throughout Victoria 

 are state-owned. The government is thus in a posi- 

 tion to effect state conservation works and chan- 

 nels, which provide adequate supplies at a cost 

 which is calculated at a minimum for the settler 

 who pays only sufficient for working expenses and 

 sinking fund. 



Victoria has taken measures to secure the best 

 results possible by placing these systems in charge 

 of an eminent engineer, Dr. Elwood Mead, formerly 

 chief of irrigation investigation, Washington, D. 

 C., thus affording the benefit of American experi- 

 ence and successful examples. 



To promote settlement much government as- 

 sistance and encouragement is rendered, so much 

 so that it is regarded that a settler need not be 

 other than successful, and Dr. Mead states "that 

 under the conditions no man who will work need 

 fail and every man who longs for a home can se- 

 cure, it. Men are abtaining homes on these lands 

 with less hardship and often less outlay than was 

 required to subdue the wilderness when the land 

 was a gift." The terms for obtaining the freehold 

 of these closer settlement lands require only a 3 

 per cent deposit of the capital value of the allot- 

 ment with succeeding half-yearly payments extend- 

 ing over thirty-one years. Settlers can rely upon 

 having neighbors as all are required to live upon 

 their land and there is therefore no isolation but 

 the company of half a dozen smiling homesteads 

 within sight. 



In order that a beginner may have the maxi- 

 mum of his resources at his disposal, the state will 

 build houses and allow fifteen years for payment, 



GOULDBURN WEIR, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, 

 With a Party of American Landseekers in the Foreground. 1912. 



thus also saving any hardships for the women and 

 children to wait for the erection of shelter. The 

 settler can get to work immediately to obtain re- 

 turns from his land. The state is also prepared, if 

 requested, to grade and cultivate portions of settle- 

 ments, allowing up to ten years for. payment and 

 has experts whose services are available free of 

 charge to advise how, when and what to cultivate, 

 prices and quality of stock, produce and imple- 



ments. These simplify a man's dealings, save him 

 much time and money in consequence of having 

 to operate in a new country under what may be 

 regarded as new conditions. 



As it must be recognized that the first couple 

 of years necessarily require a good deal of outlay, 

 the state is also prepared to advance money for 

 any purpose, up to 60 per cent of the value on all 



GOULDBURN WEIR, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. 



Showing the Gates Down with Water Flowing Over. One-tenth of the 

 Flow of This Stream is Diverted by This Dam for Irrigation 

 Purposes. 



improvements effected by the settler, so that no de- 

 lay need occur for development and thus reaping 

 the benefits by the purchase of more stock and im- 

 plements that may be required. 



Satisfactory results are attending these efforts 

 and many American settlers are among those who 

 have gone to Victoria and already achieved pros- 

 perity from the excellent advantages offered for 

 colonizing by the state of Victoria, Australia. 



FOREST NOTES. 



The Balkan War has brought about a rise in 

 certain lumber prices in Europe because of the big 

 demand for wood for ammunition boxes. 



Dogwood, the principal source of shuttles for 

 use in cotton mills, is growing scarcer year by year, 

 and various substitutes are being tried, but with no 

 great success. 



The officials of the Yosemite National Park are 

 co-operating with the forest officers of the Stanis- 

 laus and Sierra national forests for fire prevention 

 and control in both the park and the forests. 



Experiments with a tree planting machine at 

 the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station indicate 

 that it may be used to advantage in reforesting old 

 burned areas on the national forests. 



The leading forest schools of the country not 

 only have their own forest tracts for continuous ex- 

 periments, but give their students actual experience 

 in the woods by having them take part in big lum- 

 bering operations. 



That further diversion of the waters of the 

 Colorado River above Yuma will be a menace to 

 both the Imperial Valley and Yuma irrigation 

 projects, will be urged before Secretary Lane by 

 the receivers of the California Development Com- 

 pany. 



