IRRIGATION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1799, 6 October 1888, Page 4

IRRIGATION.

Mr JO. F, Wright contributes (he fo'im; interesting letw Ml Irrigation to ih> Ashhurti ii Guardian : Knowing that a fi-w of Ihe fainmrs in lln« Ashburton County are thinking sb.ut irrigation, il may be of s nm interest to them to know what they are doing in the north-west provinc sof India. Ihe Department i» now engaged in the construction of l he Nadral Aqueduct, which is intended to carry th * Lower Ganges Canal over the valley of (lie Kalin id i riser. F« r magnitude and boldness of cmceplion this rinks with at m- of the greatest ocbi l v-m-n* of modern engineer ini', and that the ox ca ion of this great wotk lias not attrac'el more general interest is surely a remarkab’e fact. The magnitude of the operations under the control of the Department, irrespective of large works in construed.. n. cannot bs easily grasped, Ihe total direct and indirect capital of the concern readies the enormous total of £7,700,000. Thu gross assesmenl for the year on account of the use of water was £510.000, About half of this wen* in working < xpensrs, leaving a net profit (I f £250.000, sufficient to provide in’trest. on the inv stnl capital at the rate of per ?en’, whi o if the Be'wa canal, a work m-rdt design'd as a protection against famine, bo excluded the int rest rises to 3§ per cent. The length of dm main cana', its brandies, escapes, distributaries, and drainage channels is nearly 10.000 mi es. Ihe system irrigates on an av rage nearly 2,000 000 of acres, an area as large «s Argy'ediire, or .nearly ha'f the size of Wales. IS 0 I(’SS than 8000 villages reciv t witcr fioni 34,000 out'ets. The estimated value of llm crops raised on this area reached the enormous sum of £4.500,000, mot’ than half the entire capital sunk in Im enterprise.