April i, 1892.] 
THF TROPJCAL AGRICULTURIST. 
71? 
Indian Papers Please Copy. 
MILDUHA; VIOlOtUA, AVSJRALIA. 
THE NEW IRRIGATION COLONY. 
I have juat visitod tbe new fruit-growing colony 
of Mildura on the Murray River, and now ait 
down to give your roadera as good an idea of 
the place and ita prospects as ia possible in a 
letter of this sort. 
The Start ry Messrs Chafpey. 
Active operations were coiuni<uaeii by Messrs 
Cbaffey (pronounced long a as in chafe, not as 
in chaff) on the Ist October 1887. To give your 
readers a true idea of what sort of place it was, 
and the unpromising nature of the climate, 1 will 
quota from a letter by "Jethro Tull" which ap- 
peared in the Queenslander : — 
" Looking at the Lower Murray district with the 
eyes of a Queensland paatoralist, I class it as the 
moat wretchedly inferior of all grazing country. I 
knew it intimately when it was in its prime, and I 
see it now that it has been grazed over for 50 years ; 
80 acres would not keep n^heepl Milduia Station 
was one of the largest squatting runs in the dis- 
trict, yet it supported probably not more than a 
dozen souls the year round. It originally belonged 
to Messrs Phelps and .lamieson, who sold it some 
twenty-five years ago, just when experience was 
demonstrating, that even in wild dog and scrubby 
country sheep could be kept at large instead of 
being shepherded. It was then fenced in and 
80,000 sheep kept on it for years, then again tbe 
owner wisely sold. The new purchaser expected to 
do the same as bia predecessor, and keep per- 
manently 80,000 sheep; but the cream had been 
skimmed by overstocking and the rabbits had come. 
It fell into tbe hands of a banking institution, and 
remained on their bands unwittingly. Mr. William 
Patorscu was the manager. Une day about four 
years ago, at a neighbouring township, a quiet 
middle-aged gentleman came up to Mr. Paterson 
and without giving his name, stated that he was 
on his way to Mildura and would like to stay a 
few days. He was mistaken by tbe manager for 
a drummer of an Adelaide firm who bad sent 
up a case of execrable whisky, so he was told 
‘ he might save himself tbe trouble, for he was 
not wauted.' Half an hour afterwards tbe stranger 
quietly came up again, said his name was Cbaffey 
—George Cbaffey — and banded a letter from iho 
manager of the bank, which simply intimated that 
the bearer was a ‘ probable buyer of the Station.’ 
The station manager felt awkward, decidedly 
awkward, but apologised and explained, and the 
• probable buyer ’ laughingly admitted that a ease 
of tad whisky was amply deserving of a rough 
reception. At sundown the pretty homestead was 
reached, and the evening spent over good whisky,* 
by the manager talking ‘ sheep ’ and descanting 
upon the inferior grazing capabilities of the run, 
and the probable buyer quietly listening. It 
transpired during the evening that the new comer 
was a new ohum to the colony, was new to 
squatting, and had the money. ‘ What a godsend ’ 
thought the manager; ‘ it shall not bo my fault if 1 
don’t shove the old worn-out run on to him. 
Next day tbe horses were got up, and the inspection 
which could not possibly be done under several 
days, oommenoed. Tbe manager took the lead, and 
did the talking; the lead was over the salt-bush 
plains and through the straggling open mallee, 
and the new ohum was told of the exceeding 
fattening quality of all salt-bushes, and how open 
mallee was tqually as good as the plains ; he 
Messrs Chaff ey nro, wo believe, abstainers. 
—Ed. T. a. 
90 
was told that the absence of grass was nothing, 
for that after the slightest rain numerous saline 
herbs grew, all eagerly relished by sheep. The 
belts of dense mallee ,and pine ridges, where not 
a blade of grass was to be found, were carefully 
avoided, and the ride home was along tbe river- 
flats, where, under the huge red gums and the 
stunted box, flooded grass was long and plentiful ; 
and the manager thought ha had made an im. 
pression. Next day the new ohum began to assert 
himself ; he had kept to the river, inquired aa 
to how low it fell in the summer, how long it 
kept in flood ; examined the cliffs and looked at 
the Bubauil, and al the subsoil exposed in any 
rain-gallies ; was greatly pleased with the long 
anabraooh or ‘ billabong,’ how deep was it ? how 
was it filled? did it retain the water? ita, &g. 
The dense mallee belts avoided the previous day 
were not only visited but critically examiuod aa 
to soil and aub-soil— so were the pine-oovered 
sand hills. Would he ‘ not go and see the sheep ?’ 
suggested the station manager. “No, I eupposs 
they are what you say they are ; but how high 
do you suppose the ridge is above the river? 
that distant pine sotub must be higher. Let us 
go and see it,” was the strange reply of tbe stranger. 
The pretty garden, too, at the home station came 
in for careful examination, every tree and shrub 
noted, and particular pleasureexpressedat theorangea 
and lemons, and the vines. Conversation slacked 
somewhat that evening. The manager was com- 
pletely non-plnssed; ha had had bia say, and had 
got a rank new ohum to say it to, but what was 
the good when his man did not care whether the 
points of the station were good or bad. lie was 
asked whether there was a theodolite on the 
station. ‘ Yes, wo use it to run boundary lines. 
Yon will find them quite correct.’ ‘I should like 
to take it with as tomorrow ’ was the quiet reply 
of the green new ohum. The manager said nothing 
but thought a good deal as he went to bia room 
to bod. Next day the theodolite was taken, but 
not to the boundary line. Oh no 1 only to the 
river bank, and the height above water noted. Then 
the height of the salt busb flats and rises, and 
their heights marked down in a pocket-book ; then 
this, that, and the other mallee and pine ridges 
had their levels taken, till at noon a halt was 
made lor lunob and the whisky brought out. The 
station manager felt himself worked up to a ' rope- 
able’ oondition. Hs could stand this tomfoolery 
sort of inspection no longer. This man ia no 
squatter but a fool, and what is the use of 
wasting time over him ? So out it came. ‘ Look 
here, Mr. Chaffey, you are a mystery to me. 
Who are you? What do you want? Are you a 
bona-fide buyer ? You seem to care nothing about 
I he quality of the salt-bushes or herbs, never even 
look at the grass, and will not go to see the 
sheep, hut matt ad keep poking about tbe river 
and t^mng the levels of these barren mallee 
ridges. Wha^t la your game ? I have been trying to 
pump you these throe days. 1 am siok of this 
useless work. Theu the quiet now ohum smiled, 
and quietly replied, ■ Mr. Paterson, you are not the 
only one who has oonsidered me a mystery during 
tins visit down the Murray and my inspection of 
several stations ; all have tried to pump me and 
insffeotually, but I will tell you. I like the plaea 
and shall buy it.’ ‘Why, you have n’t even seen 
the sheep.’ ‘ No, but they do not matter.’ ‘Good 
heavens!' exclaimed the manager aloud, and to 
himself he thought. ‘ What a greenhorn !’ Then 
the quiet man slowly unfolded the gigantic sohemes 
that were working in his brain. Told of the 
irrigation colonies ha had Bucoessfully organized in 
California. How he had oome to Australia to 
