13 



inland districts, are often too highly mineralised to be of any use for 

 the purpose of watering plants. 



Soaks abound over the country, and almost invariably follow 

 on the process of clearing land of trees previous to cultivating ; 

 wherein their presence is made manifest on the surface by the look 

 of the green patches during the dry months, when all vegetation 

 looks brown and languishing around ; there water may be obtained 

 by shallow excavation. Indeed, in the Eastern districts, some 100 

 miles or more from the coast, soaks constitute the chief source of 

 water supply. 



In those drier districts, strewed over the surface of the country, 

 occur bold, bare outcrops of cap slab granite, from 10 to 100 feet in 

 height, covering from 10 to 60 or 80 acres. These outcrops rise from 

 sandy and loamy flats. They seem to have been provided by Nature 

 for the conservation of water in that arid region. After even the 

 lightest rainfall they shed water like a house-roof; whilst and 

 almost invariably, somewhere at the foot of those denuded rocks, 

 fresh water soaks occur in natural dams or basins filled with sand, 

 which, when cleaned, supply for stock or for trees an abundant 

 supply of fresh water. 



Nowhere in the South- West Division of Western Australia 

 need fruit-growing be checked by dearth of water, as, apart from 

 natural sources of supply, any amount commensurate with the 

 requirements of the orchardist can, at small cost and with little 

 trouble, be impounded in tanks and dams excavated by means of a 

 plough and an earth scoop. 



But, apart from the source of visible water, attempts made of late 

 years to obtain fresh water by artesian boring have proved eminently 

 successful. The first bore put down was in 1894, at Midland 

 Junction, when, by means of a hand plant, an abundant supply was 

 struck at a depth of 500ft., and the bore now discharges through a 

 4in. lining 260,000 gallons of water per day. 



Since then many more bores have been put down along the 

 coastal plateau from the Greenough Plains to the Preston River. 

 Brackish and mineralised water has been struck in two or three 

 instances, but, as a rule, pure, fresh artesian water, suitable for 

 all domestic purposes and for irrigation, is struck at depths varying 

 from 230 to 1,000 feet. Around Guildford alone, four or five bores 

 have been successfully sunk, the details of which are thus given in 

 the Western Australian Year Book, published by the Registrar 

 General : 



" The Woodbridge Estate bore, completed in 1896, depth 236ft., 

 cost c418 ; discharges at the surface 150,000 gallons per day. The 

 Bebo Moro bore, 1896, put down to a depth of 308ft., cost 265; 

 yield, 86,000 gallons per day. The Waterhall Estate bore cost 

 *<474, depth 691ft., with a daily supply of 194,000 gallons. 

 The Lockeridge bore, at a depth of 798ft.," daily supply 123,000. 

 Guildford Municipal bore, 1,202ft., supply 1,000,000 gallons 



