348 
height of about 30 inches, and nearly an inch thick- 
ness in the stem. Under these conditions the oil 
is produced in much greater abundance, but the 
quality is sensibly inferior. 
In my recent article on "Lavender" I pointed 
out the immediate effect of a moist soil on the 
secretions of a jilant which f refers a dry soil. The 
above remarks, which I translate from Blondel, not 
only confirm the observations of my own short 
experience, but they are in accord with the 
observations of Linneus. 
This irrigation process is now so general that for 
one hectare of land cultivated "dry," 200 hectares 
will be found " irrigated." The very supei-ior product 
of the "dry" method is rarely sold separately, but 
is generally mixed with common oil (called " Gera- 
nium irrigu6") to ameliorate the quality. 
Ordinary stills are used for the distillation, which 
is carried on during the whole time of each harvest. 
It is estimated that BOO kilos, of therlantyieid 1 kilo, of 
oil. " The plant is gathered a little before the opening 
of its flowers, when the lemon-like odour which it 
at first possesses gives place to the odoiir of rose 
— this critical point is recognisable by the leaves be- 
ginning to turn yellow. The oil is formed entirely 
in the leaves and all the green [larts of the plant, 
the petals yie'ding no odorous product whatever, but 
in order to waste no time in detaching the flowers 
they are put in with the branches." The odour 
which may be thought to be perceived in the flower 
is simply due to the secreting organs in the calyx 
and peduncle. The pelargonium is also cultivated s,nA 
distilled in other counries: in Spain (near Valencia), 
Italy, Corsica, the Island of Bourbon, and in 
Provence. The Spanish oil is considered tlie finest 
(probably owing to the fact that the plantations are 
not "irrigated"); the plant which produces it is not 
known with certainty, but it is said to be the sajUie 
as the Algerian plant. Tlie oil from Provence ranks 
equally as regards quality with the Spanish ; a 
" superfine " oil is also manufactured in Provence by 
adding rose petals to the still. The Corsican oil is 
only exported in small quantities, but the Bourbon pro- 
duction annually increases in importance. Oil of 
pelargonium should be perfectly soluble in all pori or- 
iions in alcohol of 70 per cent,(.;) There are other 
pjlargoniums of a rose odour, as 1'. i/rareolens, Alton. (0 
'The i?7(!j« aromalica, Alton, or fragrant Sumach, has 
been described by Harper (in Auieiicav Journal of 
rhannarij) as possessing an odour similar to rose 
geraniuni. Au artificial oil of pelargonium was pro- 
duced some years ago in London by a German chemist, 
but the method of production was not, that I am 
aware of, disclosed. The discoverer presented me 
with 11 sample, which cow, after about twelve years, 
compares very favourably with a sample of Provence 
oil of . pelargonium put aside with it. The first has 
developed a faint odour of chloroform ; the second 
has turned rancid, probably owing to decomposition 
of a fixed oil adulterated with it. 
There are several artificially prepared liquids known 
in chemistry, possessing an odour somewhat like 
pelargonium and rose, sucli as citronellyl alcohol, 
salicylate of ammonium, and benzoate of phenyl. 
These compounds are somewhat troublesome to make, 
and niBy be more expensive than the natural oils; 
also they may be unstable and apt to decompose by 
admixture witli other bodies for perfumery purposes ; 
but yet they are suggestive, and an exact knowledge of 
the composition of the natural oils may lead up to a 
method of producing them synthetically. — Clifnnist 
and jDrvij'/itif. 
— * — ' • 
IRRIGATION COLONIES IN AUSTRALIA. 
By Mn. C. G. Palmer, Executive Engineeb, 
N.-W. v., lEBIGATlO.M DEPAnT.MENT. 
I have been for years on the look out for an opening 
in a good climate where my sons can be giveai a good 
j» .Tailard Jonrn, dc I'hanii., xxvii. p, 20.5. 
t L 'Heritier'B G'^nmutlopiu, t. M. 
start, and I may spend the evening of life in profit- 
able light work a.nd pleasant surroundings. By the 
advice of a,n eminent hydraulic engineer, who has a 
successful record in both AuBtr,alia a)id Europe, I 
went up the river Murray a.nd looked at the Chaffey 
irrigation colonies recently started at Mildura (in 
Victoria) and Renmark (in South Au.stralia). My 
friend is a man of very wide experience, and was greatly 
impressed with the materhal and social advantages ob- 
tained by settlers in these colonies. I went up a sceptic 
and inclined to look upontJie whole thing as a gigantic 
swindle, but ca.reful examination on the spot con- 
vinced me, as it convinced my friend, that the scheme 
is sound in every detail, and those who join in it 
will get high profits and a most pleasant social life. 
Messrs. Chaffey (George and VV. B.) are Canadians 
who emigrated to the States many years a,go; they 
gained experience a^nd made money in the iiTigation 
colony of Riverside, S. California, then foimded and 
made more money in the irrigation colony of Etti- 
wanda, and again in Ontario, both in San Bernardias, 
S. California. While working Ontario their attention 
was invited to Australia, and they came out here, 
prospected the country, olvtained large concessions 
from the Governments of Victoria and South Australia, 
and started Mildura in 1887 and Renmark in 1889. 
Both colonies are on the Murray, the area conceded 
for each settlement amounts to 250,000 acres, of 
which a,bout 170,000 is irrigable in each, case; the 
colonies are within 2.50 miles of the sea in a direct 
line, situated in south latitude .B4.i, and iiave a very 
large proportion of exceedingly rich land mostsuitaU'e 
for irrigation. The rainfall is as a rule just under 
10 inches. The climate is ai)solutely chai'ming for 
nine months, aiid hot for three months ; ljut the heat 
is dry and invigorating, and at its werst is like the 
early hot weather of the N.-W. P. in Ajn-il. Settlers 
there are perfectly satisfied with their climate, and 
go about in straw and felt hats in their hottest 
weather. Here, as elsewhere in Southern Australia, 
the ]iea,t maJies itself felt, but does no injury, and the 
sun does not penetrate as it does in India. 
The schemes are now made into limited companies, 
in which Messrs. Chaffey have a preponderance of 
power, and manage all aifairs in consultation with a 
board of directors. The method worked on is to lay 
out a thousand-acre township of one-eiglith acre 
blocks, and around it a ring of 2.J-acre villa sites, and 
then lay out the remainder of the country in 10-acre 
fruit blocks ; every fruit block has road frontage of 
660 links (43,5Jfeet) and depth of 1.515 hnks (1,000 feet). 
Two main avenues are laid out and numerous roads ; 
pumping engines of enormous power erected, canals 
and distrilsutaries or pipes laid everywhere, and as 
soon as any land is sold water is brought up to the 
IdfjJiefit corner of every 10-acre block, or laid on in 
pipes to every township and villa block. The com- 
pany then offers the whole for sale, the township lots 
at .£25 each, the villa sites at £100 each, the 10-acre 
fruit blocks at £200 per block, less 2i per cent for 
cash down. The township lots and villa sites have a 
separate house supply water-service: the fruit blocks 
have irrigation water-supply pumping plant on a very 
large scale. Township and villa lost are nea.rly all 
sold; they carry with them shares in their own water 
supply plant. Fruit blocks are for sale in large num- 
bers. A purchaser may buy one block, or up to eight 
blocks ; but not less than one block nor more than 
eight can be sold to one person. Of course a man 
may buy eiglit blocks for himself and eight more for 
each rnemljer of his family, but it would not pay 
him to do so, because no method has yet been found 
of profitably carrying on intev:<e culfnre on a large scale. 
In practice 40 acres is about the area a man ciin really 
work to the best profit. Two partners can buy a 
single block and divide it. If a man has sons coming 
on he can profitably take 80 acres or more. 
Ample water rights have been secrucd from the 
Governments, and the irrigation w ork of each colony 
is thrown into tlie form of Irrigation Companies. 
Messrs. Chaffey erect pumps and all plantand perform 
the work, but each l)uyer of land receives one fully 
paid-up share in his Irrigation Company (Mildura 
, Irrigation Company or Renmark Irrigation Company) 
