1 May, 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 319) 
Such irrigation as this, where possible, has the great merit of cheapness 
and effectiveness, no expense being incurred beyond the labour of opening up a 
few shallow surface drains. ' 
Had the swamp been on a lower level than the land, a different plan would 
have had to beadopted. Pumping must be resorted to when the water is below 
the level of the land to be irrigated. For small market gardens hand-pumping 
or wheel and bucket may be employed, but for larger areas, steam, water, or 
wind power must do the work. 2 
I saw a very good example of the use of wind-power on a farm near 
Gatton, on the way to Toowoomba, some years ago. 
The farm lay at a height of about 20 feet above a permanent creek. On 
the highest part of the creek bank a stout scaffolding of bush timber was built, 
and on this were placed six 400-gallon tanks. A pump worked by a windmill 
brought the water from the creek into the tanks. In dry weather the windmill 
worked night and day whenever there was wind enough to drive it, and the 
water was led from the tanks to a lucerne field, over which it was delivered by 
iron pipes and drains. Such an arrangement is not very costly for irrigating 
from 10 to 15 acres. But when it comes to a very large area, then it is that 
the cost increases, as the whole area has to be laid with pipes. 
- There are two or three methods of irrigation by means of pipes. Gal- 
yanised iron pipes perforated with a number of holes are laid on the surface 
of the-soil at distances of 30 feet apart, and water is pumped through them 
by means of a steam engine. The water is forced through the holes, and 
the whole surface is subjected to a shower bath, which may be kept up until 
the land is thoroughly watered. : 
A. system something like this is employed at the Queensland Agricultural 
College, near Gatton. The land near Lockyer Creek is laid with iron pipes on 
the surface; but, instead of being perforated, hydrants are attached to them 
at different suitable intervals, and by means of a hose a very large area is 
thoroughly irrigated. The water lies some 30 or 40 feet below the top of the 
bank. A four horse-power engine drives a turbine pump fixed in the creek 
below, which furnishes an ample supply. The value of this simple means of 
irrigation was well demonstrated during the drought in 1901-02. When the 
ordinary farm crops failed, owing to the long-continued dry weather, the 
irrigated land bore heavy crops of all kinds of vegetables, stud wheats, potatoes, 
and strawberries. 
Subterranean irrigation is an expensive business. In this system the 
water is carried beneath the crops instead of over them. It is of great value 
on soils of fair tenacity, but is not so suitable for very porous soils. 
Numerous experiments have shown that by subterranean irrigation much 
less water is required than by any surface system. It is said that not one- 
twentieth as much is wanted. I must tell you here to be careful how you 
answer Question 9. The question is: How much water is saved, not how 
“much is required ? 
There is a great deal to be said in favour of sub-irrigation by tiles, not- 
withstanding the great expense attaching to the work. The water passing 
through the pipes acts on the soil above much in the same manner as natural 
water does when it lies at the most suitable level for the growth of plants. 
The water as it passes through the porous pipes is drawn up by capillary 
attraction and supplied in just such quantities as the plants require. Again, 
when the surface is watered, there is much evaporation and consequent loss of 
heat. The tiles also act as drains in wet weather. In fact, when you have 
under-drained your land, you may consider that you have also provided the 
means for sub-irrigation, because, by making suitable reservoirs at the head 
of your lateral drains, you can, in dry weather, send streams of water flowing 
through them to irrigate the crops, whilst in very wet weather they keep the 
soil comfortably dry. 
Since writing this I have come across the following statement in an 
American newspaper, which goes to prove what I have just told you about 
