ARTESIAN WATER IN N. S. WALES. 99 



station has its irrigated vegetable garden. It is only within the 

 last four years that crops have been irrigated with bore water. 



"I must congratulate you on the success of the Pera Bore Farm. 

 I consider that it is one of the wisest conceptions of the Depart- 

 ment, and I hope to see the day when all our artesian water pro- 

 ducing area will become much more closely settled through the 

 means of irrigation, for without doubt the soil and climate are 

 eminently fitted for the purpose, when bore or river water is 

 judiciously applied to it, for I notice that the more the land is 

 cultivated the less water it requires, and that the greatest mistake 

 an irrigationist can make is too much flooding." 



The question of markets is one that has not been adequately 

 studied, and recently when giving evidence before the Public Works 

 Committee, I stated that the local market in Bourke is far larger 

 than is generally supposed, and I furnished a list of one firm's con- 

 sumption in a year of products that can be grown at Pera, totalling 

 the sum of £33,065. In regard to the production of fodder for 

 stock, I stated that I do not think this aspect of the question has 

 received the consideration it merits at the hands of pastoralists. 

 Californian and Mexican stock raisers have recognised that with 

 the irrigation of lucerne they can increase the carrying capacity 

 of their ranches by thirty per cent. Here if they can only grow 

 reserves of fodder against times of drought, the losses which so 

 often occur could be mitigated and reduced. The Chowchilla 

 Canal, Fresno County, California, thirty miles in length, is used 

 solely for the irrigation of natural grasses. The area of irrigated 

 lucerne in America is very large, and is stated to carry up to 

 twenty sheep per acre, if cut and fed to them ; eight and ten 

 tons per acre is a common yield. 



There is so far no sign of any alkaline deposit in the soil at 

 Pera, nor should there be at any bore, provided the drainage is 

 sufficient and an adequate state of tilth is kept up. 



In regard to the actual and practical work of boring much has 

 been done ; much geological information has been obtained 



