56 T. H. HOUGHTON. 



is full, and it will then contain 33,612,671,000 cubic feet. 

 After being released from the dam, the water passes down 

 the Murrumbidgee River for upwards of 200 miles until 

 reaching Berembed, near Narrandera, where a portion of it 

 is diverted by a subsidiary weir, and works into the main 

 irrigation canal, and the balance allowed to flow down the 

 river to serve riparian interests. After passing for about 

 40 miles along the main canal on the north side of the river, 

 the water reaches the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Areas, 

 where it is distributed amongst the various settlers; large 

 pastoral holdings having been resumed by the Government 

 for that purpose. It is estimated that the water stored in 

 Burrinjuck will irrigate about 200,000 acres, which it is 

 proposed to subdivide into about 6,000 farms. At the 

 present time approximately 1,000 farms have been taken 

 up, and the amount of fruit produced is already a very con- 

 siderable item in the State's production. It is estimated 

 that next season the production of the Murrumbidgee Irri- 

 gation Areas, in peaches alone, will amount to from 3,000 to 

 5,000 tons, and before very long the quantity of citrus fruits 

 and grapes will be of similarly large dimensions. 



The output of -the Leeton Butter Factory is between 

 three and four tons per week. A large bacon factory has 

 been established, and a cheese factory is also in operation 

 at Mirrool, while to handle the large output anticipated in 

 the near future, several other factories are projected in 

 addition to the one already in operation at Leeton. 



Iron and Steel Industry. 



No description of engineering progress in this State for 

 the last quarter of a century would be complete without a 

 reference to the iron industry. Started in a small way at 

 Mittagong in 1848, and meeting with many vicissitudes, it 

 is now well established, there being in regular operation 

 two large works, one at Lithgow belonging to Messrs. G. 



