18 9 0.
VICTORIA.
liY
PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF PAHLIAMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY'S COM1IAND.
RO:BT, S. :BRAI~, GOVER!i'l\IENT PRINTER, MELBOURME. No. 147.-[2s. 3d.}-7417. INDEX TO llEPORT.
PAGE Preliminary 3 Legislation
1\lAr OP VICTORIA, ~howing- 1Vatcrworks Tn1sts. Urban Di~tricts. Irrigation flllll 1Yater Supply Trns(.s, Towns supplied. National Works.
APPI:OXUfAl'E COST OF REPORT. .t s. d. PrC'paro.tion-N'ot gh·en~ Printing {·l,OOO copi~s) .. 165 0 0 FOR THE YEAR EXDED 30TH JUNE, 1890.
Victorian ·water Supply, Treasury Gardens, Melbourne, 1st September, 1890.
Tile llonorable Alfred Deakin, J.liin'ister qf rVater Supply, '-}·c., LEGISLATION. A further amendment of the Principal Irrigation Act was passed by Parliament during last session. This amending Act contains six Parts, comprising collectively 32 sections. Part I.-Deals with the creation of urban divisions within Irrigation Districts, and provides for their constitution and government. A2 4 Part IL-Authorizes the formation of special Irrigation and Water Supply Districts of areas limited to 10,000 acres, within which a wider franchise is established. Part IlL-With the approval of the Governor in Council, and for a period not to exceed five ( 5) years, so regulates the interest payable by a Trust on any loan as to make it bear the same proportion to the full amount chargeable as the quantity of water actually taken from National works bears to that authorized hv the Order in Council constituting such Trust; the unpaid balance of interest being capitalized. It also provides for a half-yearly statement being furnished by Trusts to which loans have been granted, showing the extent of their irrigation. Part IV.-Extends the powers ofirrigation and \Vater Supply Trusts to expend money upon the drainage of laud within their district, subject to certain restrictions. Part V.-Authorizes the Board of Land and Vv orlcs to enter and effect necessary repairs upon Trust ·works allowed to fall into disrepair, the cost to he either debited to the defaulting Trust or to he a charge on the property and rates of such Trust at a higher rate of interest. This Part also allows an extension of time for forming a sinking fund. Part VI.-Gives the Board of Land and \Vorks authority to institute and maintain proceedings for illegal diversion of water, and determines the maximum amount of the penalty. It also makes any municipal officer refusing or neglecting to supply a copy of the municipal roll when required for the purpose of the Act liable to a penalty. A short amendment of The Water Conservation Act 1887, consisting of three sections only, was also passed in Kovember, 1889. Section I.-Short title and construction. Section IL-So amending section 24 of the Principal Act as to make it lawful at any time for the councillors for any riding or ridings of any municipality to apply for permission to constitute a vVaterworks district. Section IlL-Giving power to the Governor in Council to postpone the formation of a sinking fund for any period not exceeding five years. LEGISLATION URGENTLY REQUIRED. RIPARIAN RIGHTS. The absolute necessity of the State being invested with full power over all natural sources of water supply becomes increasingly apparent each year. The strong recommendation contained in last year's Report is therefore again urged, and with increased emphasis. Nothing short of a comprehensive enactment dealing conclusively with the whole riparian law of the colony will meet the necessities of the case, enable the Water Act to be satisfactorily administered, and a complete system of National works entered upon. As illustrating the vital importance of all riparian rights being vested in the Crown, a glance at the different conditions of irrigation in California and Colorado, as described in your First Progress Report to the Royal Commission on \Vater Supply, will be instructive. In the former State, to quote a message from its Governor to the Legislature-" Rights to use water under the civic code are undefined and unproven claims, the extent and dates of which are known onlv to their holders or claimants." This \~as held to imply that unless drastic remedial n{easures were adopted, irrigation would be impossible in many parts of that State; for no farmer could be expected to expend money on expensive works where such doubt and uncertainty as to the legal rights existed. Before the serious defects in the Califomian law were discovered, or presumably even suspected, the value of property in irrigation land and works was £40,000,000. The injurious results of uncertainty as to the position of appropriators discovered themselves on every hand, paralyzing enterprise in the direction of extended irrigation. Colorado, warned hy the example of California, presents a decided contrast. By the constitution of this State all streams within its boundaries became public property, thus extinguishing for ever the possibility of contention as to riparian rights, giving permanence to existing works, and encouragement to construct new ones. It is not surprising, therefore, that in mileage of canals and acreage irrigated Colorado more than doubles any other State, or tlutt its works are the greatest, most permanent, and most rapidly extending. 5 The Queensland Government, foreseeing the future complications that must inevitabl,y arise should water rights remain in the hands of private individuals, proposed some years ago to intJ·odnce stringent legislation, constituting every stream flowing into the sen or a navigable river, or indeed any stream of importance at a reasonable di;.;tance from its source, a main watercourse (i.e., one deemed to be vested in the Crown), and so conserve the water flowing therein from unlimited use hy the public. A still more stringent Bill was introduced into the New South Wales Legis lature by Mr. Abigail in December, 1888, but it was discharged from the notice paper in consequence of the session terminating. This Bill contemplated the acquisition by the Crown of all waters other than those fhlling and conserved on private property, or required for stock and domestic purposes. DRAIXAGE HEQUIRE:\fENTS. The inadequacy of the ameil(ling Act to meet the drainage requirements of certain districts is admitted, and it is in contemplation to introduce a further amending Bill, giving po~wer to form Trusts for the specific purpose of drainage only. Gor,D-FIELDS RESERVOIRS. Attention is again invited to the necessity for a short enabling Act to permit of the disposal of the gold-fields reservoirs to the bodies whose constituents benefit by them. At present the unsatisf~wtory position of the Department is that, these works being nominally its property, it might in some instances be held responsible for the consequences of any accident owing to imperfect maintenance or improper control. FIRST CONFERENCE OF IRRIGATIONISTS. Foremost among the educational influences of the past year was the recently held Conference of Irrigationists. I regret that it is not possible, within the necessarily prescribed limits of this Report, to dwell at such length as I could have ~vdshed upon the practical nature and importance of this convention. The papers read, fifty-five in nnm her, were all from farmers, engineers, or Trust officers thoroughly representative of their various districts, and well qualified by actual practical experience to speak upon the various methods and results of irrigation. The discussions upon these were earnest, brief, and to the point; and it is a matter for congratulation that the united experiences recorded were successful in demonstrating beyond question the practieahility of irrigation in all parts of the colony, and the certainty of splendid agricultural and pastoral results following in its fertilizing train. Though sufficient time has not yet elapsed to gauge, even approximately, the beneficial results that must ensue from the dissemination of the knowledge collated in the printed report of this Conference, the numerous applications for copies already bear full testimony to the eorrectness of the prediction expressed in your eoneluding address, that "the notes and proceedings of this gathering will prove one of the most valuable documents yet circulated in the colony." Anticipating that the demand for this publication ·would he very great, the precaution was ta.ken of having it stereotyped, thus making provision for obtaining additional supplies as required. CIRClJLARS TO TRUSTS. Dissatis£1.etion having been frequently expressed by the constituents of various '\Vater Supply Trusts, in consequence of channels being in many cases constructed without the solicitation of those proposed to be benefited, the Depm~tment recognised that some action was desirable. The question of providing Rgainst such compbints was consequently brought before the Irrigation Conference, and :Mr. Y mmg, Counnissioner of the \Vestern "\Vinnnera Irrigation and "\Vater Supply Trust, adyocated the adoption of the principle "That no distributing chmmels should be constructed by any Trust till a petition asking for such channels had been receivetl from the landowners who really desired to utilize the water they would supply, anll 1vho collectively were prepared to gnarautee to take and pay for such quantities as would justi(y the work and insure payment of the interest upon the outlay for construction, cost of headworks, maintenance expenses, &c/1 This suggestion appeared to you to be one well worthy of careful consideration 6 by all bodies charged with the construction of works for water supply, and a circular embodying it was accordingly issued to all Irrigation Trusts, and to the more important rural W" aterworks Trusts. Replies have beea received from most of the larger Trusts, and-with one or two exceptions, in districts where the main portioil of the ch:tnncl works arc completed -this view is entirely concurred in, and will in future he acted upon. It having heen represented to the Dcpartmc:1t that nLtny cases of individual hardship have been occasioned hy 'Vnterworks Trusts levying a uniform rate over properties very unegually benefited, or in some cases not benefited at all in ordinary scason3, another circular was issued t:) the Trusts pointing OLlt that although the necessity of their revenne being adcqnate to their expenditure must be universally recognised, yet the axiom that l'.lting should he proportio:ntc to benefits deriveJ was deemed to be equally essential. In this circular the Tmsts were strongly urged to carefully as:::ertain the benefits derived from the scheme of works by the various holdings in their distt·ict, and to cquitabl.v adjust t:lxation hy rates either graduated in amount, or differential as to localities. Your views, "that the sale of water by measme to the extent of filling t:tnks or dams ought to he a substantial source of Trust revenue, and one which, if carefully fostered, should go far to obviate the necessity of levying rates upon properties but little benefited," were strenuously prcss2d upon them. PURITY OF COLIBX~.. 'YATEH. In consequence of complaints having been made to the Dep~rtmcnt that the water supplied to Castlemaine and Sandhnrst from the Coliban scheme was both impure and unwholesome, Dr. Katz, of Sydney, the eminent analyst, was engaged to conduct a biolog·ical and microscopical examination into its quality. His analysis was both exhausti\'C and minute (no less than fifteen different s:unples of water being examined), and resulted in his being able to sum up his report in the following words:-" In short, microbes known to he injurious to health were not traceable in any of the waters." A copy of his report is given as App2ndix No. 1. HANDBOOKS. 'Vhat may be termed popular editions of the Irrigation and 'Vater Cons2rva tion Acts were recently compiled and elaborately indexed under the supcnision of Mr. McLuckie, P.M., lately an officer of this Department, with a view to facilitate reference by person.; requiring acquaintance with the provisions of those Acts, and unskilled in reading Acts of Parliament. This publication lws been issued, and will, as soon as possible, be revised, S:) as to apply to the Consolidated Acts lately adopted by Parliament. APPOINTMENTS. The Secretaryship of 'Vater Supply l1as now, for the first time, been created an independent office, the appointment dating from 17th January last. Mr. T. Vicars Foote was appointeu chief clerk on 4th June last. An important appointment, that of Mr. Calder E. Oli,'er, C.E. Melb., Assor. Mem. Inst. C.E. Lond., to the position of inspecting engineer, was also made Juring the year. This gentleman's duties arc-primarily, to examine and report periodically upon the state of maintenance of all works forming part of the securities to the Board of Land and Works for moneys advanced; to supervise, examine, and report on works carried out by Trusts under the w· ater Act ; and to see that all worlcs constructed out of State loans are efficient, durable, and in accordance with authorized designs. The appointment of an irrigation expert, Mr J. 'Vest, is an event of the year from which beneficial results are confidently expected. This gentleman possesses long practical experience in the science of irrigation, and having acquired his know ledge in the field, will be thoroughly competent to impart it to the farmers in a practical way. Mr. 'Vest is now pursuing investigations in America with a view to making himself thoroughly proficieut in the latest improvements in machinery and methods in the most import:lut irrigation centres, and, on his return, his services will be available for instruction and advice wherever they can be best utilized. His first and second progress reports arc published as ·A ppcndices Nos. 2 and 31 and will be found of special interest to fruit-growers. 7 NATIONAL ·woRKS. Rapid progress has been made during the year with the several National '"orks in eourse of eonstructio11. A great amount of surveying in connexion with furthc·r proposed works ha~ het•n dour, aml it is e:~peeted that at least two dams or rescnoirs will be commenced shortl L The following is a hricf outliiiC of such works as lmve to date been aetually taken in hand in some form or other, with a statement of the progress made in respect of them. Gour.nt.:TlN DrwrmcT. The chain of works hv whieh the water of the Goulhurn River will he impounded and eonYeyed fo1· the ireigation of this district, is the most important of the schemes contemplated by the Government, and is as follows :- T!w Go11/!mm River PVeir will constitute the head-work, with offtakes on the west and east sides of the river, for the maximum quantities of 100,000 and 20,000 cuhic feet of water per minute respectively. It is situate ahout eight miles south of the township of Mmchi::;on. The contract fiw the Goullmrn Rin•r weir was signed in April, 1887, aml the work was to have hecn completed by the 30th of .Tune; 18!:W; hut the construction was delnycd hy the mm:sually high and protracted floods of the winters of 1887 and 1889, whilst further delay has been due to the difficultiC's attending the construction of a work of such nwguitude in a river the tlow of which is considernhle, even in its lowe,.;t state. The catchment basin of the river ahoye the weir is ucarl.Y 4,000 square miles, or two and-a-hnlf million acres. The masonry work is now almost completed, all(] the iron work of flood-gates, piers, hridging, and gearing in great part erected. The floods of the preecnt ·winter s<:nson h~He heen over the weir, n depth of 3t feet flowing over the erest for a con;-;idrrable time, hut no dnmage has been cnused. The work still to he done should he complete(] about the middle of September should no further interruption be occasioned by floods. The eontract amount will be some what excecdc:d, it having heen considerc(l advisable-1st, to provide additional pa.ssage way for floods ; 2nd, to lower and widen the ofltakes; 3rd, to provide hydraulic as well as h::md-power for the working of flood-gates ; and 4th, to supply a small electric-lig;hting plant, to fi1eilitntc the proper regulation nml management of the gates at night time. The claims for land submerged hy the lvcir and resumed have heen much in execss of antieipations. They are, howevmo, in proeess of settlenwnt. Besides the main object of the weir, raising the levd of the river to supply the ofltakes hy gravitation, it will to some extent, by means of the flood-gates, scrYe the purpose of equalizing the summer flow of the river. About 550 million eubic feet of the storage will be available for dn' seasons. Jllans and Seetion of the weir and works are shown as .Appendices Nos. 4, "5, and G. FVorks rVest of the River.-These comprise 24 miles of main channel, from the weir to the proposed reservoir at \Varanga Swamp, to convey 100,000 cubic feet of water per minute; the proposed \Var:mga Reservoir to contain a total of 9,000 million cnhic feet, whereof about 7,750 million cubic feet, or 48,000 million gallons, 'rill be nTailable; 60 miles of main channel thence to the Campaspe River, to carry about 50,000 cubic f(•et of water per minute at the offtake from the reservoir. Contracts for the construction of fourteen miles of the main wrstern irrio·ation channel from the weir are in progress, and it is believed that these will he coml')leted hy the date stipulated, viz., 30th November, 1890. The first seven miles, down to the pumping station of the Edmca nnd \Varanga \Vaterworks Trnst, should he so flu· completed as to he ablL• to give a supply of lrater hy October next. The first ofitake of the Rodney Trust is near the eighth mile, and the 1·egulator and works necessary to give a supply at this point are expected to he completed by November. A contraet for the fifteenth mile of the main channel hns just been arra1wed, and as the oflbkc for the principal supply to the Rodney Trust is situate on this ~ection, the time for its completion has been fixed for the 31st December next, in order to give the Trust their full supply hy that date. Generally, the progress made with channd contracts has been satisfactory. Contracts for further sections of works in this district would have been in progress had sufficient guarautees been given by the lando\vners that the stored water vrould be utilized and paiJ for to sutb an extent as to warrant the construction. The 8 scheme is being reconsidered, ·with a view to arrange a modification to meet the wants of those who have proved their readiness to avail themselves of it, at the same time keeping in dew the- carrying out of the works on the larger scale designed, as soon as the Goverument have evidence that it will be justified. The vVarangn Reservoir, on the scale for which tenders 'vere received, v6ll cost a hout £26 per million cubic feet of available storage. It will in elude weir and channel works at inlet and outlets, particularly the main outlet, wbich is through a saddle about two miles across, with a view of saving ahout sixteen miles of main channel, and the consequent loss of elevation. Omitting this, the actual cost of reservoir, including all necessary works, would he under £20 per million cubic feet of available capacity. The cost in relation to capacity, as compared with that of reservoirs generally, is extremely low, thus showing the unusual advantages of the site. The trial surveys for the main channel fi·om the proposed \Varanga Reservoir to the Campaspe Hiver have heen carried forward about 30 miles. They will he completed, so that the construction lllny he proeeeded with whenever it may be necessary. A trial survey is being made of Heedy Lake, a natural basin lying to the west of the river, some miles above the 'veir, and having a considerable local drainage area. The object is to ascertain whether it would he pos~ible to raise the level of the lake, store therein the water discharged from the drainage area in winter, and hold it in reserve to supplement that available from the river in summer. Works East of the River.-These are 31 miles of main channel from the weir to the Broken Hivtr, near Shepparton, to eonvcy 20,000 cubic feet of water per minute. The course for tlH:~ main channel on the east side of the river is determined, and the permanent survey has hcen carried forward nem-ly as far as it is proposed to m:tke it n National work. The construetion will he commenced as soon as possihlc nftc•r the landowners' petition has heen reeeived, and the nee<:>ssary guarantee provided by the constitution of the East Goulhurn Irrigation and 'Vater Supply Trust. LoDDOX ~ ATIONAL \V ORIL This work will consist of a regulating reservoir on the Loddon River, the barrage being situated about half-a-mile above Laanecoorie. It will be a compound structure; the portion in the river channel being a weir of concrete masonry, with automatic tilting gates for the discharge of excessive floods ; with an extension on the left bank in the form of an earthen dam, protected in rear from erosion by flood waters by a heavy berme or banquette of materials not liable to scour. The face of the bank will be protected up to six feet below the permanent water level by broken stone, and above that by pitchers of cement concrete. The capacity of the reservoir will be 576 millions of cubic feet. The work is now under contract; two thirds of the concrete is completed, and the outlets are nearly so. Not much has been done towards the earth bank, owing to the fi·equency and duration of floods since the commencement of the work. It is expected that the whole will be finished by the end of the ensuing summer. Kow SwAMP NATIONAL WoRKS. These comprise an intake and a regulator at the head of the Gunbower Creek, with a direct cut thence into Kow Swamp; the Gunbower and Taylor's Creeks being canalized and used as far as possible by deepening and cutting off bends so as to shorten the distance from the offtake to the storage. Kow Swamp is to be converted into a storage basin capable of holding 1,450 million cul1ic feet of water fpr summer use. The winter supply is to be drawn from Taylor's Creek by a channel carried round the storage basin, and thence westerly to the ]~oddon. The same channel will carry the summer supply from the storage, which is to be tapped at its north-western end, and connected by a short branch. The ehannel will reach the Loddon River at a point about twelve miles sonth of Kerang, its length from the Gunbower intake to the Loddon being 42 miles. The works are intend~d to supply 10,000 cubic feet per minute iu 'Yinter: and ti,300 cuhic feet per minute in summer, for the service of the lands in the lower part of the Loddon Valley; the area cmmnanded heing 130,000 acres. The estimated cost of the scheme is £170,000 ; £10,000 of ·which has been provided to recoup the Swan Hill Shire vVaterworks Trust for works superseded. About one-third of the work comprised 9 in the scheme is in the hands of contractors, and it is expected that the whole will he completed early uext winter. CAMPASPE NATIONAL "TORK. This is intended to he a storage and regulating reservoir on the Campaspe River, near Langwornor. The proposed weir, 80 feet high in the centre and 900 feet long at the top, is to he immediately below the junction of the river with the Coliban. It ,,.ill probably he of concrete masonry, or of concrete combined with rubble; and the resen-oir 1vill have a capacity of 785 million cubic feet. Its purpose will he to maintain a constant and nearly uniform flow in the river, so as to provide for the service of the Irrigation Trusts lower down. The permanent surveys are completed, and two designs have been prepared for the weir, one of solid concrete, the other of concrete and rubble combined. No decision has yet been come to as to what design shall he adopted, nor can a date be fixed when the work is likely to be commenced. Only one Irrigation Trust has yet been formed in the C:unpaspe Valley, and the use of stored water is not at present contemplated in connexion with its scheme. BROKEN RIVER 'VORKS. These will probably consist of a weir on the Broken River, at a point about two miles north from Benalla ; a channel thence to the .Mokoan Swamp; a reservoir at the swamp, to store about 2,700 millions of euhie feet, for the summer supply of the Broken Hiver and Broken Creek distriets; and the clearing, sectioning, and grading of the Stockyard Creek, so that it may act a'l a supply channel from the reservoir to the Broken River at Gooramhat. The general character of the works has heen pretty fully discus'led. The total cost, ineluding land, is estimated at £86,000. Negotiations are in progress with the various Trusts interested relative to the quantities of water to be taken by each, and the price to be paid therefor. ·when these are satisfactorily completed the works may he proceeded with. EAST 'VIMMERA "T ORKS. Further survey and examinations have been made during the year. The project for a reservoir at Hall's Gap has been abandoned on the ground of its inordinate cost. The proposed National works are-a reservoir at Lake Lonsdale; channels thereto fi·om Fyans', Mokepilly, and Pleasant Creeks; channel from the reservoir to Glenorchy and Glenorchy Weir. WEST W IMMERA ·wORKS. Surveys for a work for the supply of the Western Wimmera have been carried out. The site and character of the work are under consideration. WERRIBEE NATIONAL WoRKS. Surveys have been made for a reservoir on the W erribee above Ballan, and a channel thence to the distribution areas. The design of the work is in preparation. IRRIGATION AND WATER SUPPLY TRUSTS. Reference to Appendix No. 7 will show that there are now twenty-seven Irrigation and \Vater Supply Trusts, seven new ones having been coustituted during the year. The ag·gregntc area of their districts is 2,683,557 acres, and the tot~l quantity of irrigable land is estimated at 1, 716,983 acres, of which 503,438 acres can. be irri~ate~ annually .. Tl!e ho~Towing powers. ac.corded to thes~ corporations by their constttutmg Ordt•rs m Council amount to i 1,677,360, of wluch the Board of Land and \Vorks has agreed to provide ;tl,240,858; the balance to be obtained in the open market. So fi1r the Department has advanced £457,145 on account of these loans, leaving £783,713 still to be made available. 10 The gross value of tbe irrigable lands in the Trust districts, estimated upon a low basis of valuation, is £6,554,305; while the annual rateable value, according to the municipal assessment, amounts to £282,973. l<'rom these figures the magnitude of the present and fnture operations under this Department is apparent. The Appendix quoted furnishes detailed infornmtion relative to the extent to which each Trust contributes to the totals given, and sets forth the estimated cost of the various sehemes, the expenditure to date thereon, and the nature of the \vorks to be carried out; it also shows the number and dimensions of the works alreadv constructed. It was pointed out last year that the majority of tl{ese bodies ~were of recent creation, and it cannot yet be said that any of them lmve adnmeed much beyond tbe initiatory stage, though several have tbeir works almost cmnpleted. My predecessor's remarks as to the impossibility of forecasting· the measure of success that may ultimately attend the operations under these Trusts can therefore only be repeated by me, but the concluding paragraph of the First Progress Report of 1\Ir. ,J. \Vest, the Government Irrigation Expert, of his recent experiences in California (Appendix No. 2 ), warrants me in e1nplmsizing his prognostication of the ameliorating influences of itT1gation so improving the conditions of life in arid districts, at present often barely tolerable, as to render them highly attractive. Of the older Trusts, that which invites most attention on account of its immense area, and the magnitude of its proposed works, is the 'yestcrn ·wimmera, which was constituted on the 3nl September, 1888, vrith ail original scheme e.stimated to cost £.368,307, exelusive of the National head-works at Victoria Valley. This primary scheme consisted of the Victoria (or l\Ioora 1\Ioora) Valley Hcservoir on the Glenelg River, and another large reservoir in the 'Vartook Valley of the }fcKcnzie River, with minor reservoit·s, storage basins, tanks, weirs, channels, pumping machinery, and other works. The estimated annnnl irrigating capaeity of these works was 82,500 acres. Subsequently, however, further smvcys demonstrated the feasibility of an enlarged scheme equal to irrigating 200,000 acres in every year, and, this having been represented by the Department to the Trust, the latter made formal application for an extended scheme or plan of works, intending to apply for an additional lo:tu. The requisite notices have been publi-.;hetl, but, ovriug to opposition having been displayed by its constituent:>, the Trust lms delayed the lodgment of the petition for the full term allowetl by law, which has not yet expired. The Cohuna Trust is another that nttracts attention by the magnitude of it.s operations. Embracing a district of about D6,000 aeres of laud, ten-elevenths of which is stated to he capnhle of efficient and cconomicnl irrigation, and engaged iu the construction of a scheme estimated to cost in the aggregate £122,130, it ranks as one of the principal Trusts in the colony. It was originally constituted on the 20th April, 1886, with a loan of £17,000, reconstituted on the 1 bth .,July, 1887, with a loan of £50,000 (inclusive of the first £17,000), for part of the scheme, and it has now applied for an additional loan of £72,150 to complete the whole scheme. The bulk of its water is to he raised by means of pumping machinery, hut it is also empowered to take the whole of the water flowing or conserved in the Gunbowcr, Deep, Yarram, and Picaninny Barr Creeks, and :McDonald's and the Hed Gum Swamps, and two-thirds of the Yolume of the flood waters in the BmT Creek. The Trago~wel Plains rl'rust has nearly exhausted its loan of £1 G5,588, and practically completed it~ scherne of works. \Vater is now being sold in small quantities for irriD'ation purposes, and it is expected that when the flow of the Loddon Hiver is 1'(-;o-ulat~d by the National weir nud dam at Lnanecoorie (now in course of construction) th~ Trust ,vill be in a position to entertain a large number of applications for water for summer irrigntim:. The district of the Rodney Trust comprises portion of the old Echuca and \VaranO"a 'Vaterworks District, and is situate on the western s1de of the Goulbum River. ;:, The scheme is designed to take water from the Gonllmrn Hiver by way of the National weir and main western channel therefrom, and is estimated to cost, exclusive of National works, £242,878. The Trust is now inviting tondm·s ior the coustruetion of its distribution works, and, as the necessary head-worl~s are almo.;;;t completed so far as this district is concerned, it may be anticipated that actiYe irrigation operations will be commenced ver.r shortly. The land is of good (1uality, ~ome portions exceptionally so· it is li(Yhtlv timbered, and very suitable for cultivation; at present a lnr;.re portion is de~oted t~ gr~zing JHH'p~ses, but V grain and fruit growing is extensively engaged in, HllU the culture of vines for raisins and wine· making is being moiSt successfully promoted. 11 Since the issue of last Report, Swan Hill and Leaghur and Meering Trusts haYe been granted additional loans of £10,G50 and £5,350 respectiYely, for the purpose of completing their authorized schemes. Rapid strides are beiup: made with the execution of the mnjority of the schemes of the reuminin INcREASED VALuE oF LAND. It is a noteworthy and encouraging fact, elicited from reports received from several of the largerV Trusts, that althomrhU ·water for irrio·atiou0 has not ~vet reached the fanners, the schemes carried out, even in their present imperfect condition, have conferred considerable benefits. The PHOPOSED IRRIGATION AND WATER SUPPLY TRUSTS. The :schemes are now ht•ing dealt with of fonrteen proposed Trusts, comprising a gross area of 2,371,144 aeres of land, the net inigable area of which is computed to be I ,899,08.5 acres, and of this area 409,920 acres, it is expected, will he irrigated mmually. The gross value of irrigable land is about £8, l 01,080, and the mmual rateable value, exclusive of the Agricultural College Reserve at Dookie, is £271,621. The total cost of the schemes to supply these proposed Trusts is estimated at £1,233,800. (See Appendix No. 12.) The proposed Eastern vVimmera Trust is intended to take over the wor~s and present district of the 'Vimmera United \Vaterworks Trust, from which body the application f()r the constitution of the Trust emanated. The principal works in connexion with this scheme are storag·e reservoir at Lake Lonsdale, with channels from Fyans' Creek, the ::\Iokepilly Creek,'Jand Pleasant Creek, to divert their waters into the storage reservoir; a main supply channel from the reservoir to the Glenorchy Weir, which will be enlarged and strengthened to adapt it to act as the distribution head-work; and other works of a minor character. The presumed cost of these works is £~17,000, exclusive of head->vorks, but inclu~ive of a sum of about £120,000 to recoup advances now owing by the vVimmera United vVaterworks Trust in respect of its existing works to be taken over by the new Trust. The character of the land in the district is excellent, and it is expected that about 77,(!00 acres will he irrigated annually. Cereals are the principal products, but sheep grazing is also largely engaged in. The proposed Eastern Goulburn Trust comprises in its district about 228,000 acres of splendid agricultural and grazing land, and its scheme is designed to take water from the National vVeir on the Gou1hum Hiver hy way of the Main Eastern Channel. It is stated that 224,000 acres of laud can be economically irrigated by gravitation, and the probable cost of the scheme, exclusive of National works, is estimated at £175,600. 'Vater will be supplied to the Trust by the Board of Land and vVorks in the following quantities, and at the rates specified, viz. :-From June to November, inclusive, 15,000 cubic feet per minute, at Ss. per cubic foot per minute; and from November to April, inclusive, 7,50U cubic feet per minute, at 10s. per cubic foot per minute, and these quantities of water are helieved to he capable of irrigating 75,000 acres of land annually. It is expected that this Trust will be constituted very shortly, as all the requirements of the Act have been complied with, except the loclgiug of the second petition, whi(';h is now being signed. The land in the district is of a very superior character, and well adapted for irrigation. It consists principally of rich chocolate soil, interspersed with sand ridges which, with the aid of water, is thought to he the ver.v perfection of ground for cultivation of the choicest varieties of vines, &c. Individual irrigation has already been commenced on a comparatively large scale, by means of windmills and steam pumps, from the River Goulhurn, and has proved indisputably that almost anything can be grown fi·om this soil. The Koonoomoo proposed Trust district consists of the territory lying between the Eastern Goulburn and Yarrawonga districts, and is intended to be supplied with water hy means of a pumping plant and channels, at a cost of £203,511. The whole of the work in this case will he Trust works. The land in the district (235,600 acres) is mainly devoted to the growth of wheat, oats, and barley, and the grazing and fattening of sheep and cattle. The proposed Eclmca and W aranga Trust will take over the remaining portion of the old Eclmca and \Varanga 'Vatenvorks diHtrict, and will he supplied with water from the Gonlburn 'Veir, via the \Vestem Channel and 'Varanga Reservoir (all National works). The cost of its scheme of distribution works, inclusive of the necessary recoup for existing works which are to he taken over, is computed to be £2'77,500. The district comprises an area of ~55,000 acres, of which 216,750 acres eau he beneficially irrigated. The Trust will take water from the 'Varmwa basin. The soil throughout this district is fertile, is generally well improved, a~d, in its present state, gives good returns to the farmers, who, as a rule, are prosperous. The principal crops grown are cereals, though, to a srnall extent, grazing occupies attention. The proposed Yarrawonga Trust purposes taking over the original district of the Shire of Yanmvonga 'Vaterworks Trust, whieh body petitioned for the constitution of an Irrigation Trnst. The district comprises 262,400 acres of land in all, of which 192~000 are said to be irrigable. At present it is considered that not more than 14 2,000 acres will be irrigated in each year by a scheme (pump, weirs, and channels), the cost of which is set down at £20,500. This amount includes the sum of £17,000, to be recouped to the vV aterworks Trust for works constructed by it, and to be taken over by the new Trust, thus leaving practically only £3,500 with which to execute liTigation works. It is understood, however, that the Trust ultimately intends to practise Irrigation on a large scale, and the present petition lws been presented merely to enable it to apply for a further loan, and proceed with an extended scheme without the necessity of again going through the preliminaries required by the Act. The soil of this district is of good character, and -well adapted for wheat growi-ng, the quantity of this particular crop raised ammally in the shire of Yarrawonga having for several years been greater than that raised in any other shire in the colony. The nature of the proposed scheme of supply for theNether by (Lowan) district is characterized by its total distinctness fron1 that of any other district. It is pro posed to sink a well upon each property to be irrigated, at a cost, including the necessary plant, of about £400. Each well is estimated to yield 1,000 gallons of water per hour, and all such water is to he the property of the owner of the land upon which the well is sunk. At present the matter is in abeyance, the l .. owan Shire vVaterworks Trust having intimated its intention of taking up the scheme, and peti tioning to have the whole of its territory constituted an Irrigation and \:Vater Supply district. The area of the proposed Netherhy Trust is 7,205 acres, the whole of·which it is estimated can be il'rigated. The soil is of a reddish loam, and at the present time the occupants are principally engagell in producing grain. As, however, the major portion of this district is comprised of leasehold properties, an amendment of the law will be requisite before an Irrigation Trust can be constituted. The proposed Millewa Trust contains within its boundaries 39,141 acres of rich land, valued at £5 per acre on an average. This area is situate to the north of the Campaspe Trust's district; 31,500 acres of it is estimated to be irrigable, 12,000 acres in each year. The scheme, which will consist of a pumping plant and channels, is estimated to cost £49,870; the declaration only provides for £12,000 to be advanced by the Board of Land and vVorks; the balance of the money required ·will therefore have to he obtained in the open market. The greater part of the ]and is of open red loamy SlU'face, with rich red subsoil interspersed with sandy ridges; towards the water-courses the soil deepens to almost blackness in colour. So far, grazing has been extensively carried on, but under the Irrigation system it is intended to enter largely into cultivation. The preliminaries under the Act in the case of this body have all been completed, and it may be expected that the Trust will be constituted at an early date. The Broken River Trust, for which the Shepparton Shire Council has peti tioned, is only in the earliest stage of formation, and much cannot therefore be said in regard to it. So far it is proposed to include in the district 61,000 acres ofland, 30,000 acres of which it is believed will be irrigable, about 10,000 annually. The works are calculated to cost £111,000, and a professional report on the scheme is now being obtained. The Trustees of Agricultural Colleges have applied for the constitution of the Experimental Farm Reserve at Dookie as an Irrigation and \Vater Supply district, with a view of obtaining water from the Broken River, with which to instruct the students in cultivation by irrigation. This is recognized as a most desirable departure in the management of Government training farms, and the hest results must inevitably ensue from the proper inculcation of intense culture precepts in the agricultural education of young students of farming. A small loan of £2,000 is asked for, to permit of the erection of a pumping plant and the laying of cast-iron pipes, and it is thought that about 100 acres ofland will be irrigated annually. The Great Western Trust has been petitioned for by the vignerons around Great 'Vest ern, ·who experience great losses in times of drought, mving to want of water for irrigation. The proposed scheme, which is designed for the supply of3,000 acres, mostly vineyards and orchards, consists of a reservoir and channels, computed to cost £10,279, and the source of the supply will be the Allanvale Creek. It has, however, met with considerable opposition from certain residents, and is consequently a bey ant. 15 The proposed MinclH1 Trust district, the area of \Yhich consists chiefly of rich dark-red loamy soil, deepening in colour near the natural water-course~, is imme~liatcl;r contiguous to the Kow Swamp, and \Vill be watered thcrefrom. It mcludes 21,000 acre;.; of land, 20,000 being irrio·ahle, and of this amount 16,110 acres can be 1vatered mmna1lv. The ~works (pt~mpit~" plant and channels) will cost zt24,500. The chief product IRRIGATION CO}IPETITIONS. It is a matter for congratulation that the entries o~ i~·rigated farms for last season for the prizes offered by the Department, though hnuted to two from each district, selected by local bodies, were in excess of any former year. The prizes were- Class 1.-For the best irrigated farm, first prize, £30 ; second prize, £20. Class 2.-For the best irrigated orchard, garden, or vineyard, first prize, £50 ; second prize, £25. Class 3.-For the hest variety of irrigated crops, first prize £50 ; second prize, £25. Aggregate value of prizes, £200. The conditions of the competitions are giYen in Appendices Nos. 13, 14, and 15. Out of the eight competing farms, the owners of three, situated in the Goulburn Valley, were unable to obtain 'yater for irrigation, owing to the whole of it heiug required for domestic and stock supply ; and two farms in the Beujeeroop and Murrahit district, owing to the wet weather, had not been irrigated du_ring the past season. The ahovc-mentioued entries having been eliminated fi'om the list, there remained but three, uone of which the judges considered \YOrthy of first order of merit. l\fr. Patchell, of Kerang, having in a previous competition secured second place, was precluded under the conditions from again t:tking a prize of similar denomination, and Messrs. Clark and Sons, of Horsham, through an inadvertence had entered ''a farm" when only "an orchard " was intended. Though unable to award a prize the judges highly commended the unremitting efforts of Mr. G. Hunt, of Euroa, to develop the spring resources of his farm at Castle Creek, and suggested that the services of an expert, who could assist farmers by scientifically opening up these suhterraneous water-courses, should be secured, as hy the utilization of spring supply a new province would he virtually added to the irrigation territory of Victoria. 1st. In the class for~ irrigated gardens, orchards, or vineyardA, the judges awarded the first prize of £50 to :Mr. A. Monnington, of Mildura, whose irrigated orchard seemed to them to admirably fulfil all the conditions of a complete system of successful fh1it culture with irrigation. So impressed were the judges with the per· fection of this orchard and the system of irrigation obtaining therein, that they furnished a detailed statement which is reproduced as Appendix No. 16, and will be found both interesting and instructive. 2nd. The second prize of £25 was awarded to Mr. J. King Shaw's well-known vineyard and orchard at Goomong1 but O'Wing to the second prize in this class being ac\judged last year between Mr. Shaw and :Jiessrs. Thompson and Co., of Katunga East, Mr. Shaw was precluded from receiving more than half the prize this year. In the above class there were seventeen entries from nearly all parts of the colony, and the competition was very dose indeed. 3rd. In the third class for best variety of irrigated crops a second prize only was awarded, and this to JHr. C. L. McGuirk, of Mildura. The judges considered the best variety of irrigated crops brought under their notice was that of Mr. S. Ah Dore, of Elmore, but unfortunately he had entered only in the garden, orchard, and vineyard class. In th~ ?ase of Mr. J. vVest 1 of Mooroopna, the fact of his being only able to secure a sufficient supply of water for four acres effectually debarred him from com peting, Regulation I. in this class stating the area of irrigated land "shall not be less than twelve acres." 16 RECOMMENDATION OF THE JUDGES. From close observation of the working of the general conditions of these com petitions, 1ve are of opinion that it would be an improvement in the garden, orchard, and vineyard class to reduce the acreage ft·om twelve to ten acres, and increase the area to he irrigated, say to six acres out of ten, instead of four out of twelve, as at present. It is also desirable that local public bodies, when in fLlture forwarding entries of hold ings, should take the trouble to ascertain the actual condition of such farms, orchards, &c., at; the time of nomination, and further take such interest in the subsequent progress of the competition as will facilitate the objects aimed at by the Department. As on previous occasions, the Department has to acknowledge the valuable services afforded by Messrs. T. K. Dow and Thomas G. Pearce, who acted as judges of these competitions. WATERWORKS TRUSTS. The number of Waterworks Trusts has been increased during the year from 34 to 43, the new corporations being constituted to carry out schemes for supplying the townships of Kyabram, Seymour, Healesvil1e, Gordons, 1\:Iurchison, Gisborne, Lillydale, Bright, and Boort. A complete list of the Trusts is given in Appendix No. 17, which also sets forth the loans respectively granted to each of them, and their expen diture during the year. The total sum paid on account of loans up to the 30th June was £762,37916s. 8d., an increase of £43,930 14s. 7d. since the date of last year's Report. The total amount of the loans authorized to be expended by the Trusts is £916,957 19s. 5d., which sum, less the £762,379 16s. 8d. already paid, leaves a balance of £154,578 ~s. 9d. yet to be advanced. Appendices Nos. 18 and 19 give details of the several schemes-Urban and Rural -already carried out, or being developed. As regards Urban works, it will be seen that a population of not less than 33,830 are dependent thereon for their water supplies, that the annual rateable value of property in the Urban districts is £275,588, and the total cost of the works £350,547. The Rural districts supplied comprise an area of 4,034,200 acres, with an annual rateable value of £534,054, while the estimated cost of the works is set do·wn at £466,765. It should be noted, however, that several of the larger of these districts will be absorbed in the areas of Irrigation and vVater Supply Trusts about to be appointed ; and the works and liabilities of the \Vater works Trusts will be taken over by the new bodies. Appendix No. 20 contains a statement of interest paid and outstanding, on account of loans granted under this Act, up to the 30th June. It will be seen that, on the date mentioned, interest to the amount of .£20,273 5s. 3d. had been paid during the preceding twelve months. Of the sum of £40,671 4s. 9d., owing on the 30th June, £8,330 Os. 5d. has since been paid, thus leaving the amount now overdue at £32,341 4s. 4d. This sum is owing by the following Trusts, viz. :- Sum upon which Interest Interest outstanding. Remarks. Trust. is owing. -----~--~--~--~----- 8. d. s. d. £ o: £ Avoca 15,630 0 I 1,898 17 9 See remarks following. Bacchns Marsh 8,000 0 01 305 15 8 This sum is to be taken over by the Bacchus Marsh Irrigation Trust. Bet Bet 5,693 17 Oi 128 2 3 This interest only became due on lst July, 1890. Benalla 10,000 0 ol 225 0 ol Eehuca and W aranga 120,953 7 1 ] 1,081 2 4 ; See remarks" following." " " Kara Kara 7,507 14 61 167 8 8 ! InterestonlybecamedueonlstJnly, 1890. Loddon Unite(l 36,840 9 3 5,917 7 8 See remarks following. Low an 25,466 12 ol 553 10 2 lntm·est only became due on 1st July, 1890. Mooroopna 2,473 15 2 21 1 11 , Avenel 1,534 0 0 34 10 4 " " ," Shepparton 24,649 9 4 2,530 14 1 See remarks" following." " Shepparton Urban I 0,916 12 5 195 1 1 Swan Hill 36,590 1 5 5,987 12 0 " Wimmera United 113,378 13 8 2,147 2 4 Interest" only became due on 1st July, 1890. 22,969 14 505 18 8 I Yarrawonga ••• I 4. , " Koroit 3,376 13 5' 61 10 7 " " , Tatura 1,265 I 1 ' 12 0 5 " ," ,, ," Kyabram 246 14 1 9 8 " , , 750 0 4 19 10 " ,, " Murchison ~I " " " 17 The following Trusts have, at the date of the issue of this Report, fully paid all interest due U}Jon their loans :- Echuca Borough Upper Macedon Healesville Horsham Borough 'Vimmera Shire Euroa Maryborough Daylesford Kyneton Nagambie Lancefield Stawell Romsey Winchelsea 'Voodend. St. Arnaud Seymour In the case of the Avoca Trust, the loan granted to that body has been appor tioned among the various municipalities whose districts are included wholly or partly in the area of the Trust. Payments towards interest have been made by the shires of Swan Hill, Gonlou, St. .Aruaud, and Kam 1\:ara in respect of their several liabilities. The Koroug Shire hns, however, failed to make any payment towards interest, and the Board of Land and Works has consequently struck the following rates for 1890 over its territory, viz., n rate of 2s. in the £ upon properties in the township of Charlton, and ls. in the £ in respect of properties in the rural district. The Government has appointed an officer to collect the amounts due, and payment is being fi·eely made by the township residents. The necessary notices in connexion with the amounts due in the rural portion of the shire arc being prepared, and will he immediately served. "When the rates in question :,;hall have been collected, and payment made of further contributions which are now due by the shires of Swan Hill, G01·don, St. Arnaud, and Kara Kara, the amount of interest orving by the Trust on the 30th June will be considerably reduced. The Loddon United Water Trust owes-loan, £36,840; overdue interest, £5,917. Upon a reference to the last Report it will be seen that it is proposed the Bridgewater weir and head-sluice and the Kinypanial weir and off-take works shall he declared National works, and an allowance of £5,000 made to the Trust on account of the Dridgewater chmmel. The possession by the Government of all regulating an INSPECTION OF TRUST 'VORKS. By sections 26 and 27 of The In·igation Amendment Act No. 1047, now embodied in the 1/Vater Act 1890, the Board of Land and )V orks is authorized to exercise supervision over the works of Irrigation '!'rusts and of Waterworks Trusts, and to insist on their being maintained in proper order and repair, so long as any portion of the moneys advanced to the Trust by the Board remains unpaid. And in the event of any Trust failing, after notice in writing, to carry out necessary repairs, or in cases of urgency without such notice, the Board is authorized to carry out such repairs as mHy be deemed necessary. The cost of these repairs is to become it debt from the Trust to the Board, secured in like manner aud recoverable hy the same means as Trust loans. 'Vitl1 a view to giving effect to these provisions an inspecting engineer has been appointed, whose duty it will be to make periodical inspections of all Trust works, to furuish reports on their character and condition, and to arrange for repairs and reiustatements in cases where the Trusts f~til to make proper provision. The following is an extract from the letter of instruc tions to this officer, on his appointment:~--" Y on will, in the first instance, make an inspection, and fmnish a general r(•port on the character aud <1uality of nll the works hitherto carried out, or now in progTess, hy '\V:tterworks or Irrigation Trusts, out of loans advanced under the authority of either of the Acts above referred to. You will say ·whether such works are of an effieient and durable character, and in accordance with the authorized designs, and whether they are in a proper condition of main tenance. You will also fumish more detailed spcdal reports on any cases that seem to demand such, or on any matters that cannot conveniently be dealt with at sufficient length in a general report. Your attention is spccia11y directed to sections 26 and 27 of Act No. 1047, and to the fact that you occupy the position of engineer to the Board of Land and 'Vorks, therein referred to, and you arc expected to advise the Board, through this Department, of any default on the part of Trusts to properly and efficiently construct their works, or to maintain in a lH'O})er state of efficiency and repair the securities of the Board." The following is an outline of the substance of the progress reports, received to date, on the Irrigation Trust and )Vaterworks Trust )Vorks respectively: "Irrigation Trusts.-I beg to report on the twenty-three Irrigation Trusts, con stituted under Act No. 898, prior to the date of my appointrnent, as follows :-At the date of inspection the works of five \Vere in a satisfactory state, three required repair, 19 and two were in an unsatisfitctory condition. In six the construction of works had not been commenced. One has been partially examined, and I have not yet had time to inspect the remainder. Suhjoined are a condensed report on the works inspected, a tabular statement, and memoranda on the several systems of works." " Waterworks Trusts.-I beg to report on the thirty-four Waterworks Trusts, constituted under Act No. 946, prior to the date of my appointment, as fo1lows :-At the date of inspection the workt> of three were in a most sati:·lfactory condition, seven were satisfactory, four were t:tir, three were unsatisfactory, and one was in a very bad state. Two Trusts had just started operations, and one had not commented. Time has not permitted the examination of the remainder. Attached are a tabulated statement, condensed report, and memoranda on the several works inspected." In all cases where the detailed reports show that the works of Trusts have been insufficiently maintained, copies lmTe heen sent to them, and they have been requested to make arrangements to cnrry out the necessary repairs. On the receipt of the complete reports on existing Trust works, copies will be sent to the whole of these bodies for their information and guidance. It is intended that in future, besides dealing ~with all matters that may from time to time arise in connexion with the main tenance of Trust works, the inspecting officer shall furnish periodical reports on the whole, and shall keep the Department fully posted up as to everything that mny be required to provide fen' their safety and for their efficient administration. WORKS FOR DOMESTIC SUPPLY CONSTRUCTED OUT OF GOVERNMENT LOANS. Tm~ LocAL GovERNING BoDIES LoAN AcTs. There are 23 municipal bodies administering schemes of supply under these Acts. The total amount of loans standing to the debit of these bodies on the 30th ,Tune, 1890, was £601,619 Os. 4d.; interest outstanding, £94,780 18s. 3d.; and the amount due towards redemption, £63,640 Os. 5d. Full particulars are given in Appendix No. 21. Each succeeding year shows more clearly that there is no probability of these large liabilities being reduced. The continuance of the mining depression in the localities affected must cause the indebtedness to increase, and all that is possible is to exercise the utmost vigilance over the local management, and, as heretofore, to insist upon fair and reasonable rating and the exercise of rigid economy. VICTORIAN ·wATER SUPPLY 'VORKS. CoLmAN ScHEME. No satisfactory progress has been made in the negotiations for the transfer of the distributary works of this system to the local bodies representative of the districts for whose benefit they haYe been carried out. On the contrary, the munici palities have exhibited a marked disinclination to accept any responsibilities in respect of them. For the present, therefore, the works are being administered as hitherto; but the policy has been adopted of making no further additions to the capital account, strictly limiting current expenditure to maintenance, and such additions to the pipe retieulations as show a substantial present surplus of revenue over interest on expenditure. No extraordinary maintenance expenditure has been necessary during the past year, a~d tl~e whole of tl:e ~works are in a satis£ The works of the Emu Valley Irrigation Trust, which was the first Trust formed under the Irrigation Act to derive its supply from the Coliban system, are approaching completion. They will, no doubt, provide water for the vineyards, farms, and gardens along the Emu and Sheepwash Creeks during the forthcoming summer. They should also be the means of materiall v adding to the r<~vctme of the system at no distant date. " The Harcourt Irrigation Trust, proposals for the constitution of which were referred to in the last Annual Heport, has since been duly formed. No actual commencement has, however, yet been made in the carrying out of the works, though it is expected they '\\ill be entered on immediately, and will be available for the service of the summer of 1891-92. Continued vigilance is being exercised for the suppression of nuisances likely to affect the purity of the water on the catchment of the Malmsbury Heservoir; and for the suppression, removal, or diversion of all sources of contamination from the watersheds of the other storage basins connected with the system. That these efforts are fairly successful seems evident from the tenor of the special Heport furnished by Dr. Oscar Katz, full reference to which has been previously made. The financial position and prospects of the Coliban system continue to improve slowly. The gross revenue for the financial year just closed was almost identical with that of the previous year, which, considering that the winter of 1889 was very wet, and the demand for water for irrigation in the following spring and summer relatively small, may be considered satisfactory. The net revenue shows some improvement; but the abandonment of the practice of debiting pipe extensions, reinstatements, and minor improvements to capital, which is intended to be strictly adhered to for the future, makes this much less apparent than it otherwise would be. 'fhere is room to indulge the hope that, with careful administration and firmness iu the financial management, the works may, in a few years, become equal to meeting the interest on the capital invested in them. The capital account stands at £1,069,254, the gross revenue for the year at £21,277, and the net revenue at £9,640. Further financial details are given in Appendix No. 22. GEELONG ScHEME. The Geelong scheme also continues to show a slow progressive financial improvement; the practice, mentioned above, of debiting the cost of extensions, rein statements, and minor improvements to capital will he abandoned in this scheme. The capital account at the close of the financial year stood at £357,337, the gross revenue for the year was £9,581, and the net revenue £6,487. Further financial details will be found in Appendix No. 23. The whole of the works are in a sound and satisfactory condition of maintenance. The negotiations for the transference of the works of this system to a Trust, which would be representative of the various municipalities whose constituents derive their water supplies from them, have not yet borne fruit. These bodies seemed at one time to have decided to coalesce for this purpose, and to ask for power8 to carry out the Barwon scheme. The project, however, still remains in abeyance, and at present there seems to be a growing disposition to adhere to the existing system of works, With their supply from Stony Creek and the Eastern Moorabool. It should be unnecessary to again point out that, whereas the existing scherne is incapable of great expansion to meet the wants of a growing town, and is, moreover, liable to failure even in relation to present needs on the recurrence of two or three successive dry seasons, the Barwon scheme would give a practically limitless supply to Geelong, even if it grew far beyond its present dimensions or visible prospects. The Barwon scheme would, besides, give a proper working pressure on all parts of the town; the existing scheme cannot. GOLD-FIELDS RESERVOIRS. There are now 24 of these reservoirs-one, in Commissioner's Gully, at Chewton, and one at Sandy Creek, Yackandandah, having been breached since the date of the last annual report. Nine m·e in excellent condition, ~whilst fifteen require repairs to the aggregate value of £294. These reservoirs have all been offered to the municipal bodies interested tor nominal sums, and sixteen have accepted the offers; hence the necessity for the Enahling Bill so stro~1gly 21 recommended in a preceding portion of this Heport. It is of the utmost importance that these transfers should be completed, and the Depnrtment released from it;-; present anomalous position. Those reservoirs that need repairing are in their present condition more or less a source of danger to the public, in most cases want of maintenance being the cause. Each of the municipalities interested has, therefore, been given notice that, unless repairs are at once locally undertaken, the Department will be compelled to take decisive action. Appendix No. 24 is a Schedule of the Reservoirs, with a report givin HAIN.FALL AND RIVER GAUGING. HAINFALL. The average rainfall over the whole surface of Victoria during the year 1889 was 33·33 inches, representing a volume of water of about 46 cubic miles. The lm:rest monthly average was in March ( O· 31 inches), rrnd the highest in ,Tune ( ;)·27 in~hes ). Copies of some of the monthly rainfhll returns which are received at this o!Hce are sent to the Melbourne Observatory monthly. Pamphlets eontaining the records of meteorological observations, published by the Observatory, are reecivecl here, and filed for public information. During the last three years monthly and yearly rainfall maps have been published by this Department for g·eneral information; owing, however, to the death of the compiler, their compilation has been discontinued, but arrangements have been made for the publication of illustrative diagrams the rainfall in future hy the Observatory. HrvER GAUGING. This work, as now carried on by the Department, embraces the continuous gauging of 26 of our principal rivers at 41 different points. DLlring the year the discharges (till 31st December, 1889), of the Kiewa, Mitta, Ovens, King, Broken, Goulburn, Campaspe, Loddon, \Vimmera, Glenclg, McKcnzie, Colihan, Lcrderderg, and \Verrihee rivers have been worked out. \Vith these, except the last two, the proportions of the rainfall in each river basin discharged by the channel have also been computed. The details of these gaugings, and the discharg·es from day to day, a1·e at all times available for the use and information of \Vater and lrrig·ation Trusts and others interested. The field operations required in the gauging of the Murray River, at Alhury, Ho,vlong, Eclmca, and 1\lildura, have heen eomplcted, and the computations in connexion therewith are now being made. The field operations necessary for the gauging of the Upper Murray, at Jinjellic, have been comrnenced, and will probably he completed during the next few months. In January next a pamphlet will he published, showing the gaugiug of the aho,'e~ mentioned rivers to thR And of 1890. It is intended that in each following year tables of the yearly discharge of our principal streams, with their means for a series. of years, shall he embodied in the Annual Report for the purposes of companson. .\NALYSES OF \VATElL There are two kinds of water analyses carried out for this Department, viz., 1st, as to potable qualities, 2nd, as to manurial value. During the year 35 samples of water have been analyzed by .Mr. A. N. Pearson, of the Agricultural Department, 17 of which were for domestic supply, the balance for irrigation. ~1r. Pearsou has also analyzed some samples of soil obtained at various places in the \Vimmera district; the whole of this work appears in Appendix No. 25. The analysis of the water of the Colihan system, by Dr. Katz, has already heen alluded to in this Report. BOHING lWH \VATEH. The present available water-boring plant consists of ouu diamond drill, two Canadian pole drills, a few tiffin augers, aml about 15,000 feet of easing, ym·yjng in size from 5 inches to 10 inches in diameter. There are four drills engaged in' nctual work-two on contract, and two on day labour. Boring in search of underground 22 water has been carried on during the year in the North~Western District, at Narre willock, Ballyrogan, and Mordialloc. In the North-Western District three bores have been completed, two of which were commenced during the year; and tlm:e others have been commenced. AtNarre~ willock the eighteenth bore has been put down by contract, and, as the district is considered to be sufficiently tested, the boring operations have been stopped. At Ballyrogan the fourth bore is being put down by day labour, the land-owner having agreed to defray half its cost up to £200. At Mordialloc the sixth bore has been put down, and a second-class spring 'vater, suitable for domestic use, was struck, which is now available to the public. The results of these borings are given in Appendix No. 26. Besides these, boring at Hall's Gap and Mokoan Swamp have been carried out to ascertain the nature of the ground for foundations of proposed works; a bore is being put down at Lara by a private firm, with n n auger hired from the Department, and a supply of mineral water, struck at Kyneton, has been made available for the use of the public. The total amount expended in connexion with boring for water during the last four years has been ahout- 1886-7 £4,900 1887-8 8,000 1888-9 18,000 1889-DO 11,800 Total £42,700 In pursuance of the scheme recommended by the officers of the Mining Department to test the mallee desert by means of a regular series of borings, work has been carried on so fitr upon their proposed lines-one extending from Nhill, the other from Donald, northwards to the M.urray River-ami a plan sho~wing the sites of bores, &c., and geological sections on these two lines is published as Appendix No. 27. Plans and sections on larger scales, and specimens of strata passed through by the various bor~s, are kept in the office for reference. During the year a comparison of the results of the work of boring for \Yater in Queensland and New South Wales with those obtained here has been made, and it shows that, while the vast secondary formations of the northern colonies have yielded many useful artesian supplies of water, not a drop has naturally reached the surface of the ground through our bores, from the tertiary formations in the mallee country. These facts have led to an investigation of the physical conditions necessary for the success of artesian wells generally, and to the application of the principles to our mallee; a diagram showing these principles, and a plan and sections showing their application to the mallee have been prepared for guidance in the selection of sites for future boring. A copy, on a reduced scale, is published as Appendix No. 28. It will he seen from the plan that the portion of mallee lying west of the line E E is above what may be termed the possible hydraulic grades drawn from the boundary of the primary rocks, in various valleys, to the sea; while that portion of mallee lying east of the same line is below those grades; and it has been decided that if the bores now in progress on the Nhill-.Murray line f.: CONCLUSION. In conclusion, it is pleasing to be able to state that the prospect of irrigation becoming in time general throughout the colony is improving with each succeeding year. · 'l'he financial aspect is also encouraging. The local bodies-though the deca dence of the gold-mining industry in many localities has seriously affected their means of revenue-are meeting their liabilities as well, perhaps, as can be expected; whilst the \Vaterworks '!'rusts have during the past year paid more interest upon their loans than during any former period. In every instance the interest on the loans of the Irrigation Trusts is being capitalized. 'l'he engineering staff is becoming experienced in dealing with the original problems which necessarily confront thmn in designing and executing irrigation works in a new country; nor is this efficiency confined to the Departmental Staff, as every care is taken by the Board of Examiners appointed under Section 64 of The h·1·igation Act 1886, to insure that all engineers employed in the construction of Irri gation works are specially trained in hydraulic engineering. Appendix No. 29 gives the names of the gentlemen qua.lified to act as engineers in the construction of works out of loans advanced by the Board of Land and Works. Appendix No. 30 shows the regulations under which these certificates are issued. Finally, the outlook in all directions appears to he healthy. The large amount of work which the Department has been required to perform during the year indicates unmistakably the development of irrigation, and it is certain that, as experience makes its value manifest, and its scientific principles become better understood, the benefits of intense culture will he more widely felt by the enterprising members of the farming community. There can be no question, however, that a serious impediment in the path of the rapid extension of irrigation in the colony is the inertness-and indeed, in some cases, the positive antagonism-of certain sections of the community who, being unacquainted with the splendid results that in other countries follow the practice of a science about which they are themselves so comparatively uninformed, not unnaturally regard it rather in the light of an innovation to be dreaded as involving increased taxation than welcomed as a potent agent by means of which the value of their produce and property must enormously increase. 'l'he hest means of combating this prejudice will therefore occupy the attention of the Department during the ensuing year, and a strenuous endeavour will he made to disseminate widely and freely a knowledge of the advantages of the practice of irrigation amongst the classes who will in the future be most materially benefited by its effects. Its immense potencies for the production of wealth will he brought into operation more and more each year, and its transformation of the arid districts, and of the present processes of cultivation, may be fairly expected to accomplish a peaceful and beneficent revolution in the agriculture and horticulture of Victoria. I have the honour to he, Sir, Your most obedient servant, H. "\V. MEAKIN, Secretary for "\Vater Supply. I I I .a ; I \'1 ', fi' J . ...-.., .> I ' \ : r-.1 ' ~ '" -wALJ:EE R S T _A I L SHOWING TRUS TS CONSTITUTED AND PROPOSED UNDER THE WATER CONSERVATION AND IRRIGATION ACTS, TOWNS SUPPLIED UNDER LOCAL GO VEIINING BODIES LOAN AOT, AND WORKS OF THE VICTORIAN WATER DEPARTMENT. :BOYD ; ; --E XPLANATION-- f;f/A 7ER HmNKS TRUSTS- Constt'tuted .slwwn b)' Blue H atc1ting THUS URBAN D1s?RJCTS·- Constituted B lue Disc Proposed - l:JAMa1'QN •0 lR!UGA TJ(JN TRUSTS:- Conslt.iuted ,, Red Tint ... ~- Proposed - Rd Hatcltiug ~~.,.-, " --.,;;..·'-- TowNs SuPPLIED,- (]u.dcr Local (;O'iJeru·wg· Rodies Loan Act- R ed D£sc " B)l Departmental ·IVorl.·s - .Biac!.: Ring- lJUNTLEY •0 NATIONAL vVoRKS·- Ju course if Construrticm R ed m:.de1' B!acl.~ Hatckin.g 11 - R ed ·nnmd BLarl.' I-£atdn.1~~· Preparl!d. hy E NI S 0 ./ T NOBLE ANDERSON, B.A., Lu_L_u_u ' __ j ___[__ _ __j SAMOS & · ~~ OOUGALl Llr.4 1TE O. MEL80URNE A P P E N D I C E S. ----~·-···-·-----~-~~· ..... No. 147. c 26 INDEX TO APPENDICES. APPE,'ID!X EXAl\IIXATION OP \VATER: Heport on the lliologieal and :\Iicro~eopi<'ai Ex:nuin:tlio:~ of:-\ impl··' uf \Vatt:r frum the Colilmu Supply. (By O~car Kntz, E:;·h l'l!.D.; C*z;etL Ull;,·.'> 1 A:-ULYSI:S OF \\T\TEH: Heports 011 Laboratory work done nut! Annly""" ul' \Vnicr. (B.1· A. :-\.Pennon, E~q., Government Analyst) 25 \VATER llOHIXG: Hesnlts of Water Bori11g 26 Plan of W atcr Bores from Nhill and Donald to Lhe .Mnrray Hi vcr 27 W nter Bores iu the Malice. Phm for fi1tnre gniJanc;,; 28 IRRIGATION; 1Vational Works- Plan of Gonlbnrn Weir and District Drawing of Gouluurn Weir (elevation) 5 Do. do. ( sGctiou) 6 Irrigation and Water Supply Tru~ts- Heturn of Irrigation and \Vater Supply Trnsts in the C•Jiony of Victoria, gi viug particulan:~ of Schemes nml Co8t of eompletcd \Vorks to 30th J nu a, 18\)0 7 Proposed Irrigation imd Water Supply Trn~ls 12 Urban \\'nter Supplie~ administered Ullller the lnigati,m ,.\d Statement showing the extent to which Irrigation hn~ bC'en pmctised by Irrigation and Water Supply Trusts during the periods imlieate,l 3l Special Reports- Mildura Chaffey Irrigation Colony; also Drawing sho1yiug lnrge Pumping Engine .Mildum Chaifey Inigation Colony-Note:; by ::\Ir. Stuart ::\Iurray, Chief Engineer of Water Supply ... Irrigation in California } 2 ~ C . (' ['£' . By l\Ir. J. West, Victorian (~overmnen1, Expert F nut u 1ture m ,a 11orma { 3 In·iyation Competib:ons- Prizes for best variety of Irrigated Crops 13 Prizes for best Irrigated Garden, Orelutrd, or Vineyard H l,rizes for best Irrigntc VroTomAN V\TATER SuPPLY ~WoRKs: Colib,m ~"'"clteme- APP&~mx Comparative Statement of Ct~pital, Orltlay, and Rovenuo-Financinl Years 1883-4 to li-i8H-90 in He turn of the varion,; 'Vatorworks in the Colony of Victoria on 30th ,June, 1890, nlwwing t:hoir Position,.:, Storage Capacities, Drainage Areas, Length of Afiuodncts, :Main and Heticnlation Pipes, with Cost. thereof- !. Und;;n· direct Govcmment control 31 I. Il. Controlled by Waterworks Tmsts.-(A)-Urban Districts 34 IL (A) (B)-Rural Distdcrs 34 II. (Il) lll. W nterworh; controlled by Irrigation and Water Supply Trusts. ( A)-Urban Divisim1s .. 34 IlL (A) (B)-Hural Didsio'"' 34III. (B) I V. Under control of :\Innicipal Corporations 34 IV. V. ltesen·oin; on t.hc Golcl-fie!Ll:> eo:1;;tructed by the Government 3! V. Departmental Publications ... 3G 28 APPENDICES. APPENDIX No. 1. REPORT ON THE BIOLOGICAL AND MICIWSCOPICAJJ EXAMINATION OF SAMPLES OF WATER FROM THE COLIHAN SUPPLY. (BY OscAR KATZ, EsQ., PH.D.; 1\LA., Goett. Uuiv.) To the C!tief Engineer of Victorian Wate1· Supply. SIR, Having, in accordance with your instructions, made a biological and microscopical examination of samples of water from the Coli ban System, I beg now to report as follows:- The samples for examination were in every case collected by myself. For that purpose I employed wide-mouthed glass flasks of :20oz. (560 cubic centim.) capacity; they were provided with air-tight fitting glass stoppers. After having a tuft of cotton-wool tied round their ne.-,ks, they were sterilised in the hot air box. The samples, as will be seen later on, were mostly derived from taps which were heated with the spirit lamp, and from which a consitlerahle quantity of water was run off, at full pressure, before the samples were secured in tl10 flasks; these were filled nearly full. I then proceeded, as soon as possible, to prepare cultivations, in nutritive gelatine, of any germs of microbean origin that might be contained in the quantity of w11ter used for examination, aut! that were capable of development in that medium. Most bacteria are, among these the bacillus of typhoid fever. The nutritive gelatine consisted of beef infusion (lOO parts), extra-fine gelatine (10 parts or p.c.), dry peptone (l p.c.), pure salt (0·6 p.c.). This mixture was faintly alkalini~etl by means of a 20 p.c. aqueous solution of pure carbonate of soda. It was afterwards, in portions of 6 c.crn.,* filled into spacious test tubes, which, provided with cotton-wool plugs, had been sterilised by dt·y beat. The contents of these test-tubes, before being taken into use, had been tested for their sterility. The sample of water having been vigoronsly ~haken for a few minutes, certain quantities were derived from it by means of a stcriliseJ gmduated glas5 pipettP, as usual, and well mixed with previously melted nutritive gelatine, showing a tempemtm·e of under 40° C.t For each sample of water four gelatine tubes were employed, of which two received l c.cm. each, the other two t c.cm. each of the sample under consideration. The contents of all tubes having been well mixed, one tube of each description was, as it was, rolled in iced water, in order to obtain "roll-plate'' or" roll-tube'' cultivations, while the remaining ones of both the one and the other kind were deprived of, approximately, two-thirds of their contents, which were distributed in about equal portjons into two empty sterile test-tubes of a corresponding size. In doing so, I followed a plan adopted by me on some other occasion ("Final Report of the Royal Commission to inquire into and report, upon the Sanitary Condition of Melbourne, 1890 "). The six tubes thus obtained in all-I will call them "part" tubes-three of them containing together 1 c.cm., the other three t c.cm. of water mixed with gelatine, were thereupon treated as the former two, which may be termed "full" tubes. After a certain time of standing, at a sni.tablc temperature, the "roll-plates " were examined for the number and kind of growths or" colonies" developed. The period when this examination took place varied somewhat, according to the quality of the colonies which made their appearance; colonies which liquefied the gelatine demanded the examination at uot too late a date, Besides, the temperature at which the colonies were allowed to develop was not the same throughout; the work, or portion of it, having to be done at different localities. The samples of water, after the roll-cultivations had been prepared, were further used for a direct microscopical examination of any sediment that collected at the bottom of the flasks after from one to three days' quiet standing of the laUer, at tempemtures about the same as those at which the gelatine cultivations stood. The flasks with the samples were put aside, at a shady place, tilted in such a way that the sediment could accumulate in the angles on one side of the convex bottom of the glass flasks. The sediment was examined fresh, with various magnifications. In the following table, the arrangement of which speaks, I think, for itself, are contained the results of both the biological and microscopical exumination of fifteen sumples of water from the Coliban supply, and other data worthy of note. • One cubic centimetre (c.em.) = sixteen minims (drops in general). t 104° Fahr. (n° C.=~ n + 32° Fahr.) -----~~~~------~~~~--- ~-~-~------ ~~-~~~---~-~~~~ ------~-- ~ 29-30 APPENDIX No. 1-continued. EXAlfiNATION FOR GERMS BY MF.ANS OF THE "ROLL-PLATE" PROCESS. "--'- -"'" ..0 :11 ot:, ~ ! -:;,..., .~.,; 8 z ~-inch tap on second floor of 2 3 February u, immediately I9r2I , .. Feb. I4 72 hours 14 7 9 9 Liquefying colonies almost absent; Sediment-Thin layer of whitish dust (carbonate of Tap water regularly, but little used; letting lime), Public Buildings, Barker I p.m.~ in all four or five bacterial with here and there a trace of vegetable run to waste for one hour and a half before street, Castlemaine; supplied species. One mould colony debris taking of sample. from clear water basin, 1fonu ment Hill, Castlemaine Sediment-Similar to Xo. 1; later on a somewhat Tap water irregularly used; letting run for 3 ~-inch tap at rear of Post and 2I~ February II, I hour ... Feb. I3 46 hours 68 40 33 Liquefying colonies about one greater accumulation of brownish fragments. one hour and a half before taking of sample Telegraph Office, 1\fain-road. 4·40 p.m. third of the whole. Three or Chewton; supplied from Ex~ : four bacterial species in all. Vegetable debris, brownish ciliated cells, as above; pedition Pass Heservoir, Moulds very few ciliatedinfusoria; Amreba; Monads; JJ.ficrasterias; Golden Point Protococcus; all these forms of life scarce ditto 4 Same tap March I3,1 so minutes (I4-*) :r.o-23··· Mar. IS 49 hours IS 30 Il About half the colonies liquefying. Sediment le8s than before, with whitish mem- Ditto ditto. 3 p.m. In all three or four bacterial bran eo us particles (of vegetable origin), also species. Two mould colonies floating in the supernatant fluid, and other vege- table debris. Monas, Amaba, fairly numerous; brownish ciliated cells; Micrasterias scarce 5 I;f;-inch pipe (with pressure tap) March 13, I hour (I4-*) 20-23 ... Mar. IS SI hours 70 4I 49 37 Liquefying colonies comparatively :-lediment about the same as before. Monas very · Tap water occasionally used; letting run for I 8! ... abundant. Infusoria ( Cltilndon?) pretty numerous; about ten minutes; also turning on of scour at valve house, }~xpcdition II a.m. few; apparently four bacterial Pass Reservoir, attached to species in all Amreba in moderate numbers. Brownish ciliated tap for a few minutes before taking of cells and Diatoms, very scarce sample. main supply pipe i Colonies mostly liquefying. In all Sediment very moderate. Little vegetable debris, Tap water regularly and freely used, having 6 ~ ~-inch tap in Vivian's Gardens, 22 February IS, I hour ... (7-1 s-•J 20-23 Feb. 20 48 hours liquef. liquef. liquer.[ 102 corner of Templeton and Adair I0.2o a.m. four or five species of bacteria brownish cells; Euglena viridi•, Monads, Infusoria run that morning for about one hour; letting streets, Maldon ; supplied from (Coleps hirtus); all in moderate numbers run for about another hour before taking of l:pper Heservoir, Ma.ldon sample. Four Sediment very slight. Vegehtble debris; Monas, The water was let run into the flask directly . 7 Outflow of the 6-inch main pipe, February I8, 1 hour ... (IS-*) 20-Z3··· Feb. zo so hours 2 7 6 Colonies mostly liquefying. at that time discharging water 2.30 p.m. bacterial species in all 1~ficrasterias, all scarce Water had a peculiar smell when issuing. from Maldon Pipe Head Reser Waterin Upper Reservoir standing very low voir into Upper Reservoir, at the time. Maldou Tap water (at least the water from a tap very 8 ~-inch tap at front of Shire Hall, 20 February I 8, 30 minutes (I 5-*) Z0-23... Feb. 20 4-3 hours 540 liquef. 550 257 Bulk of colonies non.Jiquefying; Sediment rather considerable, yellowish-brown, and close by) freely used; letting run for half Maldon; supplied from Lower 4·4o p.m. apparently seven bacterial species blackish. Vegetable debris; Protococcus, Monas, Heservoir, Maldon in all both scarce an-hour before taking of sample. Water in Lower Reservoir standing very low at the time. Sediment very slight, apart from a small accumula Tap water regularly used; letting run for 9 ~-inch tap in yard of Mr. Gordon's February z5, I hour 30 (14-*) 2I-z3... Feb. 1.7 45 hours liquef. 279 591 333 Bulk of colonies non-liquefying; (M.L.A.) house, Taradale 1.45 p.m. minutes apparently five bacterial species tion of Micrasterias, also seen floating in the two hours before taking of sample. north; supplied from Taradale snpernatant fluid; besides vegetable debris, tank Monads and brownish cells, all very searce Sediment somewhat more than before, but still Taken directly from edge of the drop. to Overflow of main channel (gate) I8~ February 25, 30 minutes 2o-23 ... Feb. 27 42 hours liquef. II4 liquef. 108 Bulk of colonies non-liquefying, somewhat below valve-house, 6.IO p.m. different from those out of the slight; apartfrom the presence of very numerous Maims bury Reservoir, at back Taradale sample; apparently six Micrasterias, also seen floating in the fluid. of stone works i species of bacteria in all Besides, Closterium in a few specimens; Monads I and Amreba scarce ! Sediment slight, of a dusty nature, with a few Tap water regularly and freely used; letting I ~·inch tap in front of a house zo~l 1\farch 4, 1 hour ... I9-21 ... Mar. 6 48 hours IZ4 I82 87 Most of colonies liquefying; ap opposite cemetery gnte, Car 10.45 a.m. parently six bacterial species in filamentous and rounded fragments here and run for one hour before taking of sample. penter-street, Snndhurst; sup all there. Vegetable debris; Micrasterias also in plied from Solomon's Gully the fluid, in moderate numbers; Closterium, Reservoir E11glena vir""idis, Difjlugia, very scarce Ditto ditto ditto. 2 l-inch tap in kitchen of a house March4, 4-5 minutes ... !\far. 6 42 hours liquef. liquef. liquef. 337 Liquefying colonies numerous; four Sediment moderate, with bits of reddish-brown in High street, Golden-square, 4.Io p.m. or fin bacterial species in all colour. Vegetable debris chiefly. Besides near Sandhurst; supplied from Diatoms, Micrasterias in small numbers; also Big Hill Reservoir Monads, Infusoria (Paramt:ecium ?), Difflugia, Euglena; Closterium scarce ditto ditto. 3 !-inch tap in yard of Gladstone March 5, 1 hour l9-2I ... }far. 7 46 hours I49 1I4 159 100 Colonies mostly non-liquefying; Sediment hardly present; here and there a trace of Ditto Hotel, Bullock Creek-road, I0.30 a,m. apparently four bacterial species vegetable debris; evaporation of a drop on the Golden-square, near Sand in all ; a few mould colonies slide yielded carbonate of lime hurst; supplied from Crusoe Clear \Vater Basin Sediment considerable, mostly vegetable debris and Tap water regularly, but little used; letting 4 !-inch ta~p in front of No. 9 Rail ZI March 7, 20 minutes (12-18-*) zo~ Mar. 9 48 hours liquef. 137 Iiquef. I 55 Liquefying colonies numerous; ap way Gate-house, opposite Se u.so a.m. parently five bacterial species bacteria. Besides, Closterium fairly numerous; run for one hour and a quarter before taking bastian Reservoir,and supplied Micrasterias scarce ; Cosmarium, very scarce ; a of sample. Pressure very low, on account from it few Monatb of the slight elevation of pipe head above that tap. 5 i-inch tap in garden of Draper's March 7, so minutes ... Mar. 9 45 hours liquef. 107 180 II6 Liquefying and non-liquefying Sediment very considerable, mostly vegetable debris Tap water freely used, having run that morn- Hotel, Haywood; supplied ·P5p.m. colonies about equal in number; and bacteria. Besides, Closterium, "lficrasterias, ing for more than two hours; letting run for from Raywood Reservoir apparently five or six species of Monads, all sc11.rce another half-hour before taking of sample. bacteria; a few mould colonies • The figures encloeed in brackets represent the temperatu~ at wbioh the roll-tubes were standing for a. few hours. No. 147. D 31 APPENDIX No. !-continued. With regard to the number of colonies per c.cm., from the different samples as detailed in the fore• going table, it will be seen that there are striking differences. The smallest number of colonies per c.cm. was obtained from sample No. 7; we !llay say that this sample was almost destitute of germs. It is not improbable tlu.t in this ease the supply of water, travelling as it tlitl, at a low rate of speed, a distance of about seventeen miles from the Maldon Pipe He~nl Heservoir, through a 6-in. pipe, which had not been scoured for some time, got rid of the bulk of its contents of germs by way of filtration of precipitation. Next comes sample No. 2, al~o with very few colonies per c.cm. The scareity of colonies here is accounted for by the sample being taken from a supply previously treated with milk of lime, and by the water supplied not taking up germs in the Clear vYD From the assessor's records I found that around Frcsuo there are 16,767 acres under raisins, 3,000 acres under wine vines, and 1,500 acres planted with fruit trees. The 1dJOlc has been made possible by irrigation. The average rainfall which is but nine inches anunally makes the culti m lion of even the vine impossible here without irrigation. The development of this convergons), aml t!HJ other a blinJ syrphns fly (catalJoniba pyrastria). I have arranged for colonies oi' both these parasites to be sent ont to Victoria later on to Mr. Fl'ench, the Government entomo\oO'ist. I think it was .Mr. C:ncbam, of Hntlwrglen, who sugge~IC CULTIVATIOX. The orchards am1 vineyards receive great attention in the way of surface stirring of the soil. Everywhere it seems an accepted axiom that whatever he neglected this, at least, must he sorupulotisly carried out. In the uorth, where they do not irrigate, they stir frequently; and in the south, where they do irrigate, they stir still more frequently. After every irrigation they nm the cultivator through, obliterating the fnrrows, cheeks, or basin~ which have been n~etl, and at each successh·e irrigation they have to he re-formeLI. One practical irrigationiet a~serto that if you have a scanty supply of water, constant surface stining will help to make np for tl!C \lcflciency; and if you have used an excess of water, cnltimtiou, again, is ouc of the best corrcctives that can b" applle:l. Orchards are frequently kept in order by contractors, who mnke a business of this. Here is tho copy of an agreement made hy Mr. A. T. Hatch, of Snisin, for tho maintenance of an almond orchanl for twelve months. It illustrates the prevailing impecssion of t!Je Yirtne of constant surface stirring:-" First, ploughing away from the trees, folhweJ by harrowing; ;;ecowl, ploughing towarcls the tree.", foHowel by cultiYation; ten summer workinga with the cnltiHttor; three workings with ~hallow cultivator or weed-cutter; five hand hoeings around the tree,;." In the prnning aud training of trees nml vinvs Victorian growers are, as a body, a long way ahead of the Cnlifominus. The old 'Mexican ~tyle of training the stems of trees high, and even of baring the main brnnche::;, i.• still largely adhered to, uotwithstanding the protests of the best local authoritie.'i ou the ;:nbject. I have seen whole orchanls with all tl1e he~t bearing wood slashed off, and the trees gaunt ancl feeble looking, because of thh; stupi(l practice. Even in cottagers' gardens many a pretty shrub is shorn of half ils benuty by the de:-lire of its owner to it "np," so that he may cultivate easily around it. NEW V AlUETIES OP FR'GITS. I h:.we met with several varietic;; which I have deeided to have introdueAd. In oranges, the 'Vashington Navel ami tbe :Meditermm:an Sweet bave a great reputation. It is claimed for the former that it is tt better llearer ami even a better flavoured orange than our Australian Navel. I thought of obtaining a new lemon C'alled the Eurdm, but some very good authorities claim that it is not a whit better than the Lii>bon, which we have; and as there is a decided objection to the mnltiplication of varieties of frnit, unless there be a snLstantinl gain, I wilt uot select it. The white Adriatic fig has made quite a boom in the state, am] I am looking forward with great intere;st to test the fruit before I leave. It is a great grower, and ripens its second crop, which is heavy, early, and has no first crop, the fruit being small, few, and ripening immaturely. I ~hould look with more eonfideuce to this fruit turning out superior to anything we ha\'C from the repntation it lms earnetl here bn t for the cnrions fact that all the figs I have yet tasted are vastly inferior both in Havour anti texture to the figs grown with us in the northern districts. Whether it be the variety, or soil, or the climate, or all three combined, I do not know, but there is no :fig here that has yet, ripened to compare ~\·ith thoso grown at Sandhurst, or Hntherglen, or the Gonlbnrn Valley. And this is so of the peaches, hut not of any other fmits. Two peaches very large\ y used for canning are the 'Foster anti the .Muir, ami these arc worth getl in g. A Yery fine new fruit is a soft-shell walnut, which originated in California. It comes into bearing mueh earlier t!Jun the old English, bears very hen:v-ily, can be generally broken withont a nut-cracker, has fine white Hesh, good ftavonr, and good keeping qualitien. Like other walnnts, it is practically constant from the nut, and I will ship 400 lbs. or 500 lbs. of nuts for di;o;!ribntion. Tlw walnut nmkcs a good hountlmy tree, as it is very handsome anll profitable, and growers who do no•~ care to plant, it. in 01 elmrd rows may use it for t bL; pmpo,;e. PACI\IXG J.<'Itf:ITS, I spent a couple of thys at Sncmmento, one of the 11rincipal points at which frnits are shipped in train loads for custom centres. The whole of the operations were fnll of interest. They were sending off apricots, peaches, plums, and pear,;, and these wore all pnt np in neat pine boxes, holding usually 20 lbs. Each separate frnit was wrapped in tissue pa.por, and all the fruits were gmtled so as to have a tmiform size in the box. Two kinds of cars are use(! for tmusport, the one longest in use being similar to our closed II twck:<, l.mt perfllntlell at hoth culls for ventilation. The boxc,; me loarlcd in regular tiers, with 6-in. alleYs botwccm o:1ch row, nnd LIH'? nrc kept. in thi~ po:;il-ion J,y !:tying a tl>in lath across ench cour '"WIRRATE r }/ J COVJ.BVNN W£1N Ei.EI/AT/ON ' t T l -~--- ,.., y J vY .J u CouLBUHN RIVER WEIR SECT/ON .. ...... 'tI I 1.;1I .r. I I I 'f! t~~ 41.1of<) ooo c:. rr: PER MINt ----4-10. so C. TT.· I . .11.-ro <> "" C Fr: P£ i..OW F.I-OOD C.Fr· PER MtiV: C. res ·. < "' . .. .. '.!" .. "'· ... 4 . .. > ·------_...... "''r-· 0 ,[> APPENDIX No. 7. z ~... HET£JRN OF ImtWATION AND \VATER SuPPLY Tm:rsTs IN THE CoLONY or·· VrcTOHrA, GIVING PARTICULARS OF Scrun:u:s AND CosT O.l<' CoMPLETED WoRKS To 30TH .TuNE, 1890 . :• Datu of ~ature of Name of Trust. Scurcc of ·water S11pply~ in APres. £ £ £ Racehus l.Iarsb Drtcchus Mnmh.,. River anti Parwan ! \Yeir and Channels 950 1,900 IOr)OO j 10,938 Bo.irnsdale 2.1. April Bairnsdalc \reir aml Channels nS,ooo q,coo II1,376 ltOCO This Trust. has not yd commenced construction of '\vorks. nud North oi' Kerung .1\IUl'l'<.l,Y Rin::l' \Veirs and Channels T9,H4o 2,2)0 ;,o::o 6,478 4 1r561 9·00 I •• I Lodtlon LoUdon UiY<.:r National VVorks I \Ycir Chctnnds I:Z..,OCG I,J80 6,6:z.o J,$58 16'2.5 \ 0"251 9 I 6 I 9 13oort, Enst Loddon Locldon HiYcr 1\ationu] \\'orks \ \\"cir and. Channels 19,679 3,700 zo,soo ro,8c9 J0'06 I I 25 I z6 I l r OJ.nlpaspc 21 Oct. ~8) I Hochestcr Camp:1t:pc River \Yeir and Channels 46,447 7,051 4I,OOO 795 This Trust has just commenced construction of works. Ca.rrum 2 Dec. 'E91 Mordinlloc i){aHlcuong- Creek Drainage awl 1nigntion \Vorks 5,44f 2],142 j,8II .. \ I 4 ·oo ~ 6·;o , '1 .. I Cohm~a ;..o April I Guubower Island Xurro.y ltln:r Chanr:Chi 97,yoo 9,')00 I21,150 50,COO '7 I I : 4Too I117'25 54 47 : 10 Dry Lake 23 J uac '90 I Kerung L·Hldon TI!Yer NatioHnl \York:;; I,)I3 2,500 JCO 1,50r Nil Thi~ Trust has not y€t commenced construetion of works. ::.0 Emu Valley ::. April "89 ) Sandhurst Colib,n Kc1tioual Works 6t6 8,57> 2,]47 1 .. 27'oo I ro·o i .. I 8 1 r, ';I 3) 70CJ 9,S64 ~ Harconrt rS Kov, Ca.stlemaiue Township I,475 :Z.,ipOO I..f.O l,t50 JOJ This Trust has not yet commenced constructlon of works. RcraJJ~ E..crnn;; I,5.fC> Ij,yGo 7h1'l rrn~st hr.s not yet commenced eonstructlon of worl\S, I\cJOl)(lroo!·~ :Jiunay Val~t~:: Phnt Chmmc1s r:, :c8c 112.00 7,5~5 5,92) ' 7'<71 {0'16 .. - 14 I)*Z.5, •• •• IO lll:d Ii.cra.n~ \'\'dl' and s,yco 20}'20J 8oo 6,65o IJiq. 0 ' 1 1 April I ~acdru:s ::\Iarsh .. \l~c:r 2,G!:J 8:-,7~0 ·!-,:~;8 7,500 Kil ThL3 Trust has not connnenccd construction of works. Dco. '38 I Kcrang (;hrmncls •• Ij,cGo I,455 IG,]CO 1,973 This Tl'USt jnst ermunenced construetion of works. )[pll J\oomlrook Pt:rnp1r.g Plant Channels 3,780 4P 3SO:J l\il This Ttust has cot set conuncnced construction of works. Phw IIi:ls H:craug C2laJJnds l),It.O J.JCO IO/:O:J z.oo This T:c·ust hns not yet conmwllccd construction of works. Rmhwy Goulhurn Yullcy .Katio:w.1 ! Chmmc1s :t:;G,G.:::o SJSOO z..p:.,878 J.I+• This Trust has jn::,t commenced construction of works. ~wan nm )Iurrn.y Yalley .. I'umpiJJ~ .r1a~1L and Chn.nnclJ I5lcoo I+,COO 750 ZJ,:150 i 1 1 I n ·Gz I +·oo I .. rz I rz 1:.: ::unr. '89 ) Echuea. l'nmphl,:_;· Pln.nt ~·-uU Chanm·::;; 19·387 :::,cc;; 2/:25 I2,)0;) rrhis 7ru~t llns jnst commenced construct!on of works. Pbins •• I 23 :Ma,r. '86 \ E.erang l.cddnn Hh·er Narional \York!::~ 1 Weir:< Ch::wnels 251,510 ;.z.R,H3 ,K;s6 163,72:1. ! Ifl5,SO:t 9'+ I 22 T\rulyc n:d1c .• 1 2 Au~r. !K6 1 1\cran~· Lodctrm TIJrcr Nn..tional \Ym·k'S I \Ye1r nnd Chunnc1H 9.920 9JO:U I s,o5o I 4.564 I I I 1 '\VandcHn. • • 29 Oct. Kera.ng l.m1don lliYcr Natiorw.l \Yorks I \Y dr n,:r.d Clmnnels )2,290 IG,cc') 5~2..;.o z,.·:-~5 20,6!9 ! 5,337 9 \Veeribcc I NoY. 'g8 \Verribcc \Ycir und Channels I,468 I,400 I 1:4~-:; 58,cco 1,046 )0,455 5,152 \Vcstcrn '\Yimmcra. 3 Sept. 'SS Ilorsham McE:enzie Hirers 1,643.77(; 9COJ0(.0 I z.oo,ooo z.,7oo,oco l).J,COO H5,ooo 1.!9.~94 29 2- ! \\~artook 49 rn Yatch::tw z6 :s-oY. '88 Ilamilton 6,753 6,soo ! z,ooo Soo o,coo I 4.C97 • Totals 1,683.557 IJ716,) B3 36 APPENDIX No. 8. MILDURA CHA.FFEY IRRIGATION COLONY. The creation of an irrigation colony ut Mildum is the outcome of the visit of the President of the Victorian Royal Commission to California in 1885, when Messrs. Chaffey, the leading exponents of irriga tion in Southern California, were invited to visit Victoria, with the object of fonncling in this colony a similar settlement to those which they had been largely instrumental in establishing in California. After protracted negotiatious between the Government and the two gentlemen named, an Act was passed by the Lcgislfltme whereby 250,000 acres of land situate in the north-w-est portion of Victoria were set apart for the enterprise. Active operations were commenced by Chaffey Brothers Limited on the lst October, 1887, since which dn,te the new settlement has made wonderful progress; some account of the phenomenal Jevelopment will, therefore, he of interest. It may be well to state at the outset some of the conditions upon which the company obtained the lam! aml water conce~sions. The licence to occupy the area named for a term of years was first granted, with the right of ncqniring 11 free gmnt of the land set apart by compliance with certain conditions as to expenditure upon the laud. The minimum expenJi ture stipnlatcu for by the Government was £35,000 within the fir~t five years. As evidence of the energy and goorl faith of tho Messrs. Chafley, it may be stated that the total expenditure to the 30th June last, certified by !he Government auditor, amounted to no lcs8 thnn £lt\3,8ili:i; the company has therefore cxpenJed in three years more than five times the amount required to he laid out during five years. A populat,ion of approximately 3,000 is settled now at :MiiJurn, inclnding about 850 school chiluren. Several public building~ have heen erected, includillg I'ost and Telegraph office, Cmtom house, nnd State ~clJOol, with accommocb tion for 2 20 children. It is reasonable to as~mnc that if the population incre~tscs :.tt the present rate, a second srbool of similar capacity will he needed long before h can be erected. J\Iiltlnra wa~ created a ~cparatc shire iu March last, and the setilers now enjoy the privilege of local govcrnmcmt. It is intcwled to proceed with the erection of a Hhire hall and court of se~sions, mechanics' institute, and hospital. One of the mo~t important comlit,ions in connexion with the conceilsion is the ngreement of the ~Iessrs. ClHtiJey to Luild and endow an agricnltnrnl college. The Pndownwnt consi~ls of Olle-fifteenth of the whole area of the lam!. The establishment of ~nch a college, where settkrs may acquire n thorough technical cJucation in !be science and art ofhortienltmeaml agricnllnre, must prove a most important factor in assuring sncccs~ to those settlers who nre interested in such imlnstric,;. ~\commodious und handsome coifce palace has Lecn e~tnLlished wme mouths, and it hns nlremly bee;1 fun]!(] necessary to enlarge the lmihliug. No less tlwn 52 ston•:1 ttlHl place,; of lmsincss arc nlrcn capable of travelling in low water on the river, has just l1een launehct\1 and will hn ve accommodation for about lOO passengers. Six passenger and freight steamers constantly run to Mildura, connecting with Melbourne and Adelaide. APPE~DIX Ko. 8-conttnued.-:\IILDURA IRRIGATION COLONY. "l N ~ ""'li; TRIPLE-EXPANSION FouR CYT-INDER DIRECT-ACTING PnrPmG ENGI:'m, 8JO indicated horse-povror, driving four 20-inch centrifugal pumps, and raising 40,000 gallons of water per minute to an elevation of 35 feet. The cngmving shows only two pumps in position, two ad 39 APPENDIX No. 9. IRIUGATION IN ALGERIA, AND CO:MPAHISON OF ALGERIAN RESERVOIR WITH VICTORIAN RESERVOIRS. The following extract from the Amm::d He port. for 1889 of the British Consul-General of the French province of Algeria, will he ot' interest:- The drynci's of the climate i~ one of the nhctac:ics to the (]evcloprnent of agricultlll"e in Algeria; even in places whet·e there i~ an al,undant rain:'nll, liw quantity i;; nncqmdly Total 133,893 330,8()!) The following are some of the principal irrigational works:- The Yalley nbo\'C St. Doni~ ue Sig consists of two separate parts; the npper portion abo\'e the gorges has a length of 130 kiloms. = RO mile~ G2 chaim;, and constitutes the syndicate of Sidi-bei-A'bbes. lt io to the norlh of thi~ where the Yalley becomes narrow, and the river flows between steep gorges, that the groat barrage of Sig has been con;;trndc(l. A small one had been mad~ l>y the Tnrks, ami, perl1aps, even oxi;;ted in the time of the Romans. This wa~ restored bJthe military authorities in 18GB, aml consisted of 11 dam l9 metres = 62 feet 4 inches in height, and 100 metre:;= 3:.!1:1 feet 1 ineh in length, containing a volume of 3,000,000 cuhie metres= 106,000,000 enbic feet of water. Owing to the dC\'elopment of eolonizntion, the barmge wns fonnd iusnfflcient., and n syndic~tte ·wns authorized to construct another one, si:\. times as large, hig!ter up the valley. This had lmrtlly ueen finished when, on the tlth Febmary, 1885, it, was earricu away, rlestroying in its eonrse the smaller barrage below it. The writer was standing on the latter when t.hc former ga;·e way, nnd barely suecee(led in saving his life. The quantity of 1mter whieh imrne\lin.tely spread over the plain may he appreciated by imagining a column, the base of which is an aerc, and the hdght as high as the top of Mount Blanc. These two lmrrages are in eonroe of restoration; they originally cost 1,300,000fr. = £54,167, and their re-edification i,; osthnated at I ,GOO,OOOfL = £66,667. Another most nufortrma!e harrage has been that of t.he Basin of the Habra, at the couflnonce of the Oned-el-Hammmn aml the Onetl Fergong, which is fed by a hydmgraphical bnsin of 10,000 sqnare kiloms. = 3,"'161 sqnnrc miles, anu is capahle of eolltdining 30,000,000 enbic metres= l,O:J8,GOO,OOO cubic feet of water. This llllrst. in 1881, causiug great damage nml loss oE lit'c. It belongetl to a printtc compauy, hut it has now hecu entirely restol"(cd by t!te State in the mo8t solid manner, at a cost of l,367,324fr. = £!>6,972. There are sm·crnl other irrigational works in the province of Omn, bnt the miiy very important ono of these is the barrage of the Cheliff; about 25 kiloms. = ]5 miles 43 dwins above Orlemrsvillc. This is the prineipal river or Algeria, rising in Djobd Amom·, and falling into the scn, aft,er a course of nearly 700 kilom~. = 434 miles 77 chnins. Tlte water retained. by this dam i'l sufficient for the irrigation of 2,·100 hectares = .'i,931 acres on the left hank, and 7,700 hectan;~ Hl,O:lB acres ou the right. The irrigationnl works in the produces of Algiers and Constantine are much less eonsidcrable, and (]O not neccssitare ~peeial uot.ice. For comp~rison with the Algerian Reservoir works of the Basin of the Habra, attention is invited to tbe eo~t and capncity of two of our principal reservoirs, Laanecoorie Reservoir, on tile Loddon. Capaeity 576,000,000 enhic feet Cost for works, exdnsive of land, conlmet ... £63,541 Cost per million cubic feet store Proposed Waranga Reservoir, Waranga Swamp. Available capacity 7,750,000,000 cubic feet Estimated cost, exclusive of land aml exclusive of the greater outlet cutting £150,000 Cost per million cubic feet available £19 7s. Basin of the 1/abra. Capacity 1,058,000,000 cubic feet Cost ... £56,972 Cost per million cubic feet storetl ... £53 15s. APPENDIX No. 10. EXTRACT FRO.:.\I ANNUAL REPORT, BY ELWOOD MEADE, C.E., TERRITORIAL ENGINEER TO THE GOVER~OR OF WYOMING, .FOH THE YEAR 1889. Treating of how far the State should take part in the development and control of the water resources of the country, he says:- STORAGE RESERVOiRS. " The Act prill'i APPENDIX Ko. 11. TOO MUCH IRRIGATION. An experienced fruit shipper has told u;; (San Francisco fVcdily Bulletin) that in his opinion half the failures in carrying fruit to Chicago in goo1l condition arc tlno to too rnneh irrigation. A emmer of OaklarHl has told liS that large PnoroSED IRRIGATION AND \VATER SurPLY TRUSTS. Source of \\"'ntcr Same. Loenlit.r. Supply. ~aturc of 'Vorks Proposed. Remarks. Acres. Broken Hivcr Dis- 5.390 Broken River ... Pumping pluut and cast-iron A waiting second petition. trict pipes Jicscrve). Broken Hi,·cr ...... !Broken River Dis- 6!,000 Broken River ... Weir and channels ...... 30,000 Io,oco JOO,OOO z8,oco r II ,ooo j l:'irst petition being dealt with. trict C::Liivil nmll'ompnpicl . . Lo Eastcm Goulburn ... Goullmrn Valley ... 228,ooo Goulburn River Channels ...... 224,000 75,ooo I,120,000 45,000 175,6oo Awaiting second petition. ;.j::o. Eastern \Vimmem ... Wimmcra District ... r,II8,o8o Lake Lonsdale, Reservoirs and channels ... 896,ooo 77,000 z,68o,ooo 6o,ooo 217,coo 1 A\vaiting second petition. l>:;i &c. Echuca aml Wamnga Near Eehuca 2 5s,coo Goulhurn River Channels ...... zr6,750 ro6,ooo 867,000 3/,000 277,500 j Awaitir.g second petition. 1:-lhires Great IV cstern ... }. rarat District ... 3,500 Ellcnvillc Creek RcserYoir and channels ... 3,ooo 700 6o,ooo 1,6oo 10,279 1 First petition being dealt with. I Koouoomoo ...... M urray V alley ... 235,6oo Murray River ... , Pumping plant and channels ... z6r,ooo 6s,zso 1,566,ooo f4.,84J 203, SII I :First petition dealt with. Lake Charm ...... Near Lake Charm ••. 57,600 Murmy River, Pumping plant, weir, and chan- 39,540 12,000 79,o8o 4,180 23,oco 1 In abeyance. viai\:ow Swamp nels ~Tine· ha ...... Kcw Swamp ... 2J ,coo l'IJuxray Rjver, Pumping plant and channels ... 1 zo,ooo 16,uo 45:000 2,)00 24, soo 1 First petition dealt with. viaKowSwamp :llillcwa ... ••. 1 X car Echucn ... I 39,141 Murray, Goul- Pumping plant, and channels ... 31 ,soo rz,ooo go,ooo 3,ooo 4-9,870 \ Awaiting constitution. burn, and Cam- I paspe Hivers X ether by ...... Nethcrby ... .. 7,205 Wells ... Wells and pumping ...... 7,205 z6o 72,050 :z,ooo 6,4oo I First petition being dealt with. I Ovens .. ... Ovens Valley .. 64,000 Ovens River ... Weir and channels .. . ···r 6o,ooo 30,000 ' 36o,ooo 6,ooo Io.;.,Szz ! First petition being dealt with. Yarrawcuga Shire ... Broken Hirer Dis- 262,400 Broken and Mur- Pumping plant, weirs, and! 192,000 'I z,ooo I 768,ooo 35,000 zo,soo i Awaiting constitution. trict ray Rivers channels Total ... z, 371,144 Totals ... ••• I 1,899,385 I 409,920 I 8,ror,o30 I,2}3,Soo 43 APPENDIX No. 13. PIUZES FOR BEST VARIETY OF IRRIGATED CROPS. First Prize, £50. Second Prize, £25. Co::->mnoxs oF Co~rrETITIO:>;'. 1. The area of any irrigated lnntl entore APPENDIX No. 14. PlUZES FOR ilES1' lRIUGATED GARDEN, ORCHARD, OH VINEYAHD. First P1·i::f', £50. Second Prize, £25. CoxnrTwxs OF Co~tPETITION. 1. The arett of any hol,Jing entered for competition shall be not less than 12 ncres, of which not lesn than 't acres mnst be undPt' irrigated cul1:1re. 2. K o first prize will he awarcled i11 rcspoet of any irrigatempply in each onli11ary ;;eason. 6. Sufficient drainage mnst be provided l'ot· the irrigated lnml to remove any excess wator from the licldR tifter the inigation is eornplctrd, an'! without iujury to other laudo. 44 The first prize of' £50 shall be awarded to the holding fulfilling the above conditions, which, in the opinion of the judges, exhibits the highest merit, and the second prize of £25 to the next best; but the judges may decline to award either, or both prizes, if', in their opinion, the merit of the entries is insufficient to warmnt them in making the award. In making their awards, the judges will be guide1l, as f,Lr as possiule, by the following considerations, -viz.:- 1. The land is to be so laid ont, and cropped, as to fully utilize the supply of' water at the seasons when it is aYailable. 2. The irrigate APPENDIX No. 15. PRIZES I•'OR BEST IRHIGATED FARM (OTHER THAN ORCHARD OR VINEYARD). F:rst Prize, £30. Second Pr:ze, £20. CoNDITIONs oF CoMPETITION. 1. The area of any farm entered for competition shall be not less than 60 acres in one holding, of which not less than 1 2 aeres must be under irrigated culture. 2. No Jlrst prize will be awarded in respect of any farm that has been previously awarded a first prize. 3. No second prize will be aw!lfded in respect of any farm that has been previously awarded a second prize. 4. Nominations will only be received from Irrigation and Water Supply Trnsts and Agricultural and Horticultural Societies. Each such trust or society i!hall have the right to nominate not more than two farms. 5. The water supplied to the irrigated land may be provided either by pumping or by gravitation, but must be from some natural source that would be capable of yielding a sufficient supply in each ordinary season. 6. Sufficient drainage mnst be provided for the irrigated land to remove any excess water from the fields after the irrigation is completed, and without injury to other lands, either of the irrigated farm or of lands adjacent thereto. The first prize of £30 shall be awarded to the farm fulfilling the aho'fe conditions, which, in the opinion of the judges, exhibits the !Jighest merit, and the second prize of £20 to the next best; but the judges may decline to award either, or both prize;;, if, in their opinion, the merit of the entries is insufficient to warrant them in making the award. In making their awards, the judges will be guided, as far as possible, by the following considerations, viz.:- 1. The land is to he so laid out, and cropped, as to fully utilize the available supply of water at all seasons of the year. Thus :-If the supply of water available in the locality he greater in winter than in summer, the land nmst he laid out s0 as to employ the greater proportion of it in the irrigation of cold weather crops, or otherwise, so that the utmost use shall be made of the whole available water supply. 2. The farm is to be so arranged that the irrigated and unirrigatcd p01·tions shall mutually contribute to the maintenance of each in the best condition of culture, and in the highest possible state of fertility. 3. The irrigated lands are to be so arranged and prepared that the water supplied to them shall be under perfect control, both as to the volume of water to be applied b any area and as to the length of time the crops on snch arert shall remain under water or wet. 4. In the laying out of the farm, antl especially of the irrigtttetl p:)ftions, advantage is to be taken of the natural conditions, and of the natural contour of the surface ; so that the preparation of the land, to attain the requisite cmHlitions, shall entail the minimum of labour. 5. Care is to be taken to avoid saturation of t.he soil, either of the irrigated lands or of lands adjacent thereto; and to avoid the formation or retention of swamps or pools of stagnant water to the detriment of vegetation, or of the henHh or comfort of persons residing in the locality. ALFRED DEAKIN, Victorian Water Supply Department, Minister of Water Supply. Melbourne, October, 188H. 45 APPENDIX Ko. 16. ORCHARD OF MR. A. MONNINGTON, MILDURA. This orclmrd is 20 acres in extent, :mrl is planted-6 ncres of orange trocs, 4 acres of apricot trees, 2.\ acres of peach trees, acres or fig t,rees, and 5 acres of raisin-grape vines. The tn,cs !tlt(l vines, 1dtich w"erc planted the season befom last (twenty months ago), have ma,]e rcmarlmhly rapid progress, in many cases the growth of ucw wood for the season i~ 8 feet in leng1 h, anJ the trees prG,ccnt a thoronghly hcnlthy and proportionate appearance. Some of the Jl.lnscat Gonlu Blanco vines prorlneetl n few well-formed bunches of grapes this season. These grapes have Lecn nutde iuto excellent rabin~. Prrpw·ation of the Soil. The soil, which is a deep sandy loam of rc Plantiug. The next stop was to lay out the bnd for planting. Holes were dng 2± fc·ot. apart npou the septuple system, and 2 feet in depth, 2 feet in diameter tmd round. They wem thcu filled and the t re os planted, care being taken not to cover the stem abO\'e the nursery mark. The vines were planted 10 feet apart each way. Irrigation. A bead ditch, supplied from the company's channel, is carried the highc:ot bouH,bry or the orchard. The head ditch is 18 inches deep, awl 12 inehes \;·idc at the hott(Jm. The waicr is let O!it by means of slnice-boxe•, 2! inches square, and plnced one opposite each row of trees or vine~ From the slnice-boxes, which are marle of p;alvanizotl iron, the wat;:;r is th:•n mn iu 5 iuches deep, along each side of oYery row of tmcs or vine:<. These fuJTO\',·~ are a\Jont 1~ inchc•:; DPainage. At the foot of the orclmrJ a drainag0 channel i8 proYidCLI. Thi::~ drain empties Into a supply channel lower down, so that the surplus water is utilized in irrigating other orchank This drainage channel has very little water, as the irrigator is cltrefnl not to pnt on a greater quantity than the soil is able to n.hsorb and retain. Ou,ltivation. On the third day arter an irrigation the furrows which have been used in di: WATERWORKS TRUSTs, AcT No. 946-ANNTJA.L ExPENDITURE TO 30Tn ,TUNE, 1890.-LOANS. of 'Jrust. Yea.r I88J-4· Ye"r 1884-5 · Year 188;-6. Ye-ar I88(,_7• Yrnr 188;-8. TOT AT.. BAT £ s. d. £ 11, d. £ s. d. £ s. r/.1 £ s. d. £ s. .£ s. d. £ 8, d. Betmlla 3 ,July, r882 4->4-85 I4- 6 6 7 284 IS Io,ooo o Ecbuca Boroug·ll 10 .July, I88z z,I86 4 2,353 I5 5 2 5 81 2 o 79 15 7 I,oco o o 0 0 Lotltlon United 3 ,Jnly, IB8z zi,2I8 18 0 J,04-2 0 5 9 11 I 5 4- s,l 6z s 5 1~332 I 8 14 1* 8,663 5 11 30 -- 9 9 1882 2,Io8 8 0 6 12 0 0 19 I 896 0 6 If 5 I I 0 18Sz 1 7,460 8 10 4-.489 0 7 I7 10 869 1r I3 3 .,,'::)0::) 0 0 s·r 5,666 1 3 + 1 S Sz li r6,3o4- 14- 4-. 939 4- 1,481 I2 11 + 4 4,68 3 2 7 1,1Iz o 7 I7 o:j: 6,663 3 0 7 !882 ! 0 0 7 13 10 17 3 0 2 9 0 0 I) 2 8,zH6 6 IO + I88z ~I 19,199 IO 31,485 I7 IO 31,889 r6 5: 20,776 IS S,ooi rr I I I') 7 0 5 14 .Au~·, 0 0 4,77o o 0 0 2,)00 0 0 I 1,740 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 41 115 12 BeL 1 I ~ept.~ I,IJI I9 7 2,290 0 9 749 7 813 4- ro 400 17 II I44 I8 6 47 17 6 17 0 306 3 0 Avoea United 27 ~;ept., 0 0 4-,7Il II 6 5,199 IO II s,?Is 17 7 I,799 5 4 5 4§ 200 14 8 Sheppmton ... +(let., 3 Io,152 I7 8 3,228 4 I I 2,528 I2 8 90 4- 9 2,200 0 0 7 2 14 7 9 411 J,)I7 IJ II !I 0 0 6 10 E~.~huca awl \\"".a.ranga Oct , z,ro8 4- rr,II4- I7 47,236 31,9°7 1),593 8 2 22,o.p I4 7 I I 10 2, 4,738 9 10 United Low an 0 1,142 15 4- 8,g++ 2 9 I,204 2,126 I4 10 I,684 ~ rr •h57Z IS 2 I,866 Jll II 1 t '2 99 8 IO Homsey 0 0 3,296 IO 10 2 247 II 0 350 2 3 lOO 0 0 5 3 67 I4 9 Ilorsiw.m 9 I4,300 0 0 9 1,857 9 9 17,7I2 I3 6 I42 10 3 .\Iooroopna 2,,)00 0 0 12 8 44-I I2 0 476 I 6 869 9 0 2.f73 IS 2 26 4 IO Yarrawonga 2 ..f-t000 0 0 I9 8 3,238 4 7,00:) 0 0 5,939 18 9 3,897 1 10 +"* 509 2 8 l.Iacc:1on 0 0 6 5 53 I 5 72 I 5 2 0 51 'l 0 ts :Harsh 0 0 3,)00 0 0 4,220 I6 6 279 3 6 S,oco o 1,53+ o o I,ooo o 0 400 0 0 ~ Seymour '34 0 0 I ,534 0 0 0:, Nagambie I,soo o l,jOO 0 0 200 0 0 •,soo 0 KamKara 0 0 J+6 I7 9 216 I7 6 6,829 19 3 43 9 0 ? ...;c; 7 I I I6 Wimmera Shire 0 0 IS,JII 5 7 27,351 0 6 J3,728 I7 4 5 tt 16 7 Slicpparron l:rban Io,g16 I2 5 j,o47 I6 6 7,868 15 I! I2 5 ... ·l·+ Lancefield ... 6,700 0 0 6,324 + 7 0 0 4 ;++ Shire of Wincltelsea ... 0 1.4-Go o o 6 3 6 3 77 I3 \Voodend 0 0 6 2 10 4 I6 6 f,I8I 3 & Daylesford .. . 0 0 u 2 IO 7,764 2 IO I9,235 17 2 0 0 1 I I Eurort ... I,6J7 3 6 6 1 j2 6 7·790 0 2,500 0 0 12 0 0 g. Carisbrook and 393 18 0 391 9 6 7 ,) 7 6 25,303 12 6 B:tllan I2 Feb 0 0 0 0 z8 1 0 0 Koroit :Ha);: 3.376 I3 I3 6 7 Taturs, 24 ,Jun~, z,oco 0 0 I.;:; I 6 I IS 7 14 ( )Ct., 425 0 0 J96 3 7 8 7 II 5 14 l\:ov., 0 0 2,500 0 0 z,soo 0 0 17,700 0 0 7 .Jrtn., I8go 0 0 ::too o o 200 0 0 f,300 0 0 Gor.lons 7 Jrtn., 1890 0 0 Boo o o .\furchison If ,Jan., I89o z,ooo 0 0 750 0 0 750 0 I,25o o o Gisborne 24 I 890 4·700 0 +700 0 0 Lilyt1ale 22 r89o 2,ooo o o 2;000 0 0 Bright zo I8go 0 0 0 0 Boort I6 ,Jun<', I89o 0 0 0 0 916,957 I9 7 41 93,88o 16 IZ 6 ,· 45,882 12 21 762,379 r6 8 154,702 7 4 Less tnmsfers 9 o 1 3,oco o o 124 4 7 42,882 I2 2 154,578 2 9 transfer of £4,tl)t u..e. 411. § This Tru~t hns heen by transfer of £z,ooo.. u- This '1'1 UFt has been r~Jieve URJlA~ '\YATER ScTI'LIES An:uiNJSTERED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE WATER CoNSERVATION AcTs 1887-9. Annual Rateable .S:une of Tn\vu Sup;;l:cl1. Populnlic,n 'l'rust by whom Works were curried ~upp;ied. ::S n.ture o! Works. Value o! Property CQst or Work.s. Remark s. our.. In Urban Di.strlet. -- --- £ £ 1. A \'(•nei 5DO A '\'Cnel \Yatcrwori;;.s 'rrnst .. Gravitation J,OOO 1,960 2. lk:dil>:, 480 Bet Bet. Shire Gmvit.ation 2,400 1,862 :). Bvnalla 2.000 Bcnalill ... Pumping I I,ooo Io,ooo Supplies railway. 4· Char!ton AYoea United l'nmping and Gravitation . s,soo 8,6oo 5· llayksf'oril ... Daylesford Gravitation 16,ooo 27,000 Supplies railway. l•. DunaH V'/immera United Pumping s,ooo 4-,o8o Cost is exclusive of share ir hca(l-works of \Vimmerrr United Trust. ;. Echn:·a Echuca. Borough ... Pumping z.g,ooo 27,319 £16,319 of this sum has b een raised from private loans, municipal funrls, a1 d revenue. ~ 8. IIorslJ UnnA~ 'VATER St:PPLJES An~IJXISTETIED r:·mErr TilE I'!WYISioxs OF nm IVATEl! CoNSERVATION AcTs 188i-9. T!USt \','Cl"C Name ol Town Supplied. !\a~uro lrorhs. Remarks. Urban Works Authorized and in process of Construction. I £ £ r. Dallan 46~ Gr:nihttion I,;Eo Supplied from Tidlway Department's Works. 2. Doort 400 I,f30 3. llright 450 2,370 " Creek. " 4· Carisbrook and Majorca z,;oo al1lt ),!,:jc:rcn (;tadialinH II,COO " Evansford. 5· l~uroa . 5~0 UraYita1ion 5,6oo J0,29'J , Mo;llltain Hut Creek, 6. Healcsville Gra\ H:uion 4,coo 4.5co Gmccburn Creek. 7· Gisbornc (-~rnxi I ntio11 3,100 " G:trdcn Hut Creek. 8. Gordons 61o -nN•ervoir I ,3 )0 " reservoir at Gordons. 9· Koroit ;oo 6,jCO s,ooo Koroit Lake. 10. Kyubram 200 495 Iiailway Department's ·works. 1 I. Lily dale 1,000 2,00J Running Creek. rz. Lorne 35° Shire ... 31.:~00 4-200 Erskinc Hiver. q. Mansfield ... 420 2,;o::; 6,ooo Delatite lUver. 14. Murchison 460 I,jOO 2,000 Goulburn River. 15. Seymour ... 1,100 6,ooa zo.zco ]falls Creek. 16. Tatura . 5QO t,6so z~ooo ,," llodnev Trust's Channel. ..,... 17. Tungamah J,OOO ~,)0::> Drokcu Creek. ---·--- " 00. Totals I 1 ~900 £63,360 £9),124 D~rban Sclemcs at present unde1· Consideration. Town Supplied. Nn.turc of Proposed \Yorks. Remarks. £ I .£ 1. Avocn. 910 l'>ot uctcrnunc VYATEn SUPl'UES TO HUR~lL DISTRICTS Amn~aSTEHED 1::-\DER THE PnoYlSIONS OF THE vYA.TEn CoNSERYATION ACTS 1887-9. Annuat E~timntcd Amount Natne of Trust. )\uturc of '''"orks. Hnft;>nldc Yalnc (1f Hemnrks. LmHJB supplied. C01:1t of \f urkf'. to 30th • ---- £ £ £ 1. AYocn UHited IV circ<, Dame, nntl Tanks 17,000 zo,r 7 I 20,171 z. Bet Het Shire Dams nm1 Tanks 21,78o ),693 5,693 3· Echuc:c a,JI(l W amuga Sterun :·Jn.chhl(Ty, Channels: 'y d1·~:;, Co,coo 93, I 7) 83,17 5 The balance of the is not yet appor- Tanks, pu:mps n.ncl tn.>Uf:;lls tioned bet we en this and Uodney Irrigation Trust. .;:.... 4· Kam Knra Shire J)Hill.S Tanks, with pumps Ul:d tron(;1cs, and 2 s,6oo 10,922 9,1 ss c:.o Weirs 5· Loudon United ·weirs, Channels, Tan]{s, with pump:; and tro11ghs 27::000 37·485 36,947 6. Low:m Shire 40+,ooo \\'ells autl TaHks, with pcunps nnd Lroughs 87,008 3o,481 2),640 7· Shq)parton Shire 49),000 \Yeir~, Pun1ping :\Jachhlcry, ChanneL:.;: 'Tnnks, nnd 62,000 zz,rf:3 zz,183 '1\' ells 8. St. Armn:ll Shire +8I,l00 Tanks, \Yith :rnu:lllS ~u~d aull \Yo11s 4S,zoo jO,j TO 24,743 9· Stawcll Shire 72,000 Tanks nml Dams 9>314· I,9I 5 I,9I 5 1 o. Swan Hill Shire zsG,ooo ·\Ycirs, l"J:;.JE::, Chaune1~\ Tanl::s, ydU1 I;fts ancl 40,470 37,536 3),550 II. \Vimmera lJnitccl J,o88,oco 109,660 158,996 r s8,996 12. l_,.ntTawonga Shire z-ts;,6oo z6,oo;:') I j ,898 17,898 Totals ------ 4,0J4,200 £534,054 £ ,c6,;6 s £+42,o69 rni,1 of Loans and the Hc:F.1·'\YOI'l;:t \VATERWORKS TnusTs.-STATEMENT OF INTEUEST P .AID A-'fD OuTSTANIHNG UP TO THE 30TH JuNE, 1890. Yeo.r 188;-6. Year 1886-7. Y car I 887-8. Year ISSS-9. Year I 889-90· Nume of Tmst. Interest Remarks. Out standing. d.l £ s. £ A\·oc~ !:nitcd .. j I5,6JO o o! .. 351 IJ 61 15,63o o o! .. Hncchus !II:J.rsh . - .. i . • I l,!OO 0 ol .. I 7,720 !6 61' .. I .. S,ooo 0 0 .Nll I 54 7 7' 8,ooo 0 or' 54 7 71 305 I5 8! This Slllll is to be tal 12,935 3 5 1 IJ,J72 ! £6,666 IJB. 4d. ol this Trust's loan has been translerrcd to the K"'a Kam Waterworks Tmst. Trust's loan been transferred to the ,md ~leering Irrigation Trust; £2,503 8s. 6d. to the Wandella Trust; £I,c89 17s. 5d. to the Kerang East s. nd. to the Hills Irrigation Trust, " is also to be relieved to the extent of £<),64~ 12s. 6d. for works on,;rn.s:Na,tionnl works. IHterest owing to 189o, upon portion of this sum, .1.:688 as. 8d., is to be borne respectively. t £6),207 7s. zd. of this Trust's loan has been translerred to the Western Wimmcra Irrigation Trust. APPENDIX No. 21. z 9,.... ~ LOANS TO CoRPORATIONS (ExCLUSIVE OF WATER TRusTs) FOR LocAL WATEitWORKs. UNDER "Tug LocAL GOVERNING BoDIES LoAN AcT 1872," 36 VIC'r. No. 448. Interest. Principal reduced by Corporation. portion of Interest Interest Paid. Interest Outstanding, 30th June, x8go. paid and applied Date of towards When First Last Payment Redemption. Payable. of Interest. Towards Due to Hcvcnue. Dne towards '.fo ltcvenue. llcdcmption. Totnl. Redemption. Total. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ .•. d. 1 £ s. d. £ s. d. £ ... d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Ararat Borough 4$.)00 0 0 45,:1.66 6 6 30 June 27 .June 'go ),DI8 16 6 I 2)3 IJ 6 j,252 IO 0 17,392 IS 6 I0,934 13 7 28,327 9 I Ballarat Water Commission 2g4,300 0 0 :1.8I,438 I 5 10 15 .fan. 3 I Dec. '8g I73,620 4 2 12,861 4 2 186,48I 8 4 5,628 IS 7 ... §5,628 I5 7 Beeehworth Shire 2 s,67g 0 Q 24,169 5 I 26 Mar. '74 26 llbr. '9o 8,455 8 8 I z,765 ro 5 II,22o Ig I z.,6ro o o 887 8 6 3,497 8 6 Bet Bet Shire I,ooo o o 985 2 8 31 Dec. '82 2 J.uor '86 ll9 II 7 I 14 17 4 I34 8 Il 2I3 2 3 96 0 9 309 3 0 Chiltern Shire 4,SOO 0 0 4,470 I9 3 JI Dec. '74 6 ,J Bl~.· '90 I,4J2 9 I ' 537 7 0 I,969 16 I 89 8 5 ••• 89 8 Clunes Borough 70,Ig5 0 70,I9) 0 I to "'\.ug. '74 8 Feb. 'go 27,350 o o I ... 27,350 o o I6,g8I 8 7 22,165 14 3 2 Io Creswick Borough J,soo o o 2,843 6 0 30 June '76 3I Dt'c. '88 l, 3 I 3 8 65 6 14 0 I ,9 70 2 4 56 I 7 6 28 8 I 0 6 4 Daylesford Borough* 16,ooo o o 30 June '83 '9 ~far. '89 ~02 + >46 3 Io 1,qg 8 6 .. . ·l\) Dunmunkle and St. Arnaud Shires t s,ooo 0 0 3I Dec. '8o 2 t'ept. '82 658 70 10 J 729 0 I I .. . t:l<. 1-' Dunolly Borough . .. ••• 2,soo 0 0 1,973 14 Q 31 Dec. 'So 2 Nov. '88 2I6 6 0 648 I7 IO 157 18 4 78 I9 4 236 17 8 Hamilton Borough 12,000 0 0 II,355 II 8 30 June '8o I2 ,Tau. '89 644 8 4 4,629 5 0 248 7 9 I4 5 § 262 !:1. IO Huntly Shire soo 0 0 447 II 5 3I Dec. '82 9 June 'go I57 52 8 7 2og IJ 4 ... Inglewood Borough 4,100 0 0 3,270 2 31 Dec. '75 2 April '9o I,666 0 829 18 10 2,495 19 I 65 7 II 35 15 3 IOI 3 :1. Korong Shire 1,)64 8 1,443 ro I 31 Dec. '82 10 Jan. 'go J40 17 120 I 8 4 46I r6 I 3 I 0 5 I2 4 § 43 5 9 Newham Shire s,ooo 0 0 3,96I 7 3I Dec. '77 7 Jan. ·'90 2,o77 5 3 r,o38 I2 II 3,1I5 I8 2 79 4 ro 39 12 § II8 17 3 .Ripon (BeauforL) Shire 3,ooo o o 2,2g4 7 :1. I Jan. '77 27 .June '9o L4II 4 11 705 12 IO 2,II6 I7 9 ... .Ruthcrglen Borough J,228 3 7 3,094 :1. IO t ,Jan. '75 :Z.I ,Jnne 'So 348 2 1 134 o 9 482 2 IO I,$38 15 g Sag 8 2 2,348 3 II St. Arnaud Borough 12,000 0 0 s 5.935 7 30 June '77 3 .Jau. '90 I,270 6 0 I4I 19 7 1,412 5 7 328 I5 6 li9 0 9 447 16 Stawell Borough Io8,so6 o o Io6,66I 15 g 3I Dec. '74 26 tT une '9o 12,838 8 9 I,844 4 3 14,682 lJ 0 43,129 I2 9 0 2 68,139 I2 II Tl~lbot Borough lS,Ooo o o I4,986 19 8 I Jan. '77 28 .Tune 'Sg I 134g o 4 13 o 4 1,362 o 8 6,o68 IS g 3 9,404 1 o Tarnagulla Borough 500 0 0 447 3 8 31 Dec. '82 28 Jan. 'go I j8 8 I 52 16 4 2II 4 5 I 0 I I I lJ 8 :1. Wangaratta Borough 4,ooo o o 3,027 3 3 3o ,Tune '74 24 Mar. 'go I,945 I3 o I6 9 z,gr8 9 9 6I o o 9I Io o Wimmera Shire 28,890 0 0 3,J5I 9 6 30 .Tune 'So 9 Jan. '9o 4,564 14 IX 3 8 j,842 18 7 8g IO 4 128 I6 0 Totals 666,46:1. !:1. 6or,6r9 o 4 2ji,315 8 3 25,53I 8 0 276,846 16 3 94,780 I8 3 158,420 I8 8 * Dayles!ord Borough-Liabilities transferred as on rst January, r889~ to tbe Borough of Da.ylcsford "~n.tcrworks Trust. t Dunmnnkle and St. Arnrmd Shires-Works transferred 7th July, r884, to the Wimrnera United Waterworks Trust ; St. Arnaud Borough-Includes £4,077 7S. )d. interest to 3oth June, 1888, capitalised. § Since paid. 11 Wimmcra Shire--Portion of Works transferred to tlle Wimmera Unlted Waterworks February, consideration money . . £ r J,:z.os 3 J Horsha.m Borough \Yaterworks J!~ebruary, I3,oH 3 9 £l4,l60 6 10 52 APPENDIX No. 22. COLIBAN SCHEME. CoMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF CAPITAI, OuTLAY AND REVENuE, FINANCIAL YEARS 1883-4 TO 1889-90 INCLt;SIVE. Expenses of r>e:reentage Financial Year. Gross Revenue Mnint.emmce and Net Revenue. Detlelency. for Year. :Management. upon Capital Cost. ------~---~- £ £ £ £ £ £ 1883-4 1,ooo,o55 17,55 2 7,830 9,722 '972 45,002 35,28o 1884-5 1,004,452 I 8,993 6,914 12.,0]9 1'202 45,200 33,121 1885-6 I,OJ1,8J9 19,321 ],195 12,126 1'175 46,432 34,3o6 1886-7 1,052,318 20,907 8,686 12J221 I '161 47.354 35,133 1887-8 1,064,414 21,201 9,001 u,zoo I'I46 47.898 JS,698 1888-9 1,069,254 21,332 12,096 9,236 •863 48,II6 38,8So 1889-90 1,069,254 21,277 u,637 9,640 '901 48,u6 38,476 APPENDIX No. 23. GEELO'SG SCHEME. CoMPARATIVE STA'fEMENT OF CAPITAL OuTLAY AND REVENL'E, FINANCIAL YEARS 1883 TO 1889-90 INCLUSIVE. Interest on Year. Capital Cost. Gross Revenue. Per Cent. I Maintenance. Net Revenue. on Capital Cost. Capital Cost at Dellciency, d per Cent. £ £ £ £ £ £ 1883-4 350,299 7.342 2,496 4·846 1'383 I 5,763 10,917 1884-5 353,952 7,o81 z,655 4.,426 I'Z50 15,927 u,5o1 1885-6 354.502 7.348 2.,498 4,85o 1'368 15.952 u,1o2 1886-7 356,865 8,121 2,363 5.758 1'613 16,o58 10,JOO 1&87-8 356,984 8,415 2,725 5,69o 1'594 16,o63 10,373 1888-9 357.337 9,oo8 2,408 6,6oo 1'846 16,o8o 9>480 188g-go 357.337 9,581 J,094 6,487 1'815 x6,o8o 9·593 APPENDIX No. 24. GOLD-FIELDS RESERVOIRS. I Coat of No. Na.me. State of Offer. i Nature of Repairs. Repairs. £ I Tarnagulla Uncertain Lower by-wash 6 inches ...... 5 2. Inglewood, Old Accepted Outer slope trimming, re-dressing aml protecting inner s6 slope, cutting down saplings, aml re-erecting fence 3 Inglewood, Kew Accepted + Maryborough Uncertain Repairing outer slope and removing wire-netting from 5 by-wash 5 Oliver's Gully Accepted 6 Opossum Gully Accepted Inner slope re-dressing and gravelling, saplings and fO trees cutting down, and flooring of bridge to valve renewing 7 Beaufort Uncertain Saplings cutting down and repair to valve-tower ... 5 8 Blackwood Accepted Soiling tmd sowing of track down outer slope •.. I 9 Dunolly Accepted Dressing and pitching + chains inside slope, cutting zz down trees, and re-erecting fence IO St. Arnaud Accepted I I Red bank Uncertain 12. Lam plough Accepted Repairing breach and cutting down saplings •.• ·P 13 Deans Accepted Inner slope re-dressing and protecting, and bridge to zs valve repairing .53 APPENDIX No. 2.1.--GOLD-FIELDS HESERVOIRS-continued. Name. Natmc of Hcp:tirs. Kilmore Accepted Nuggety Gnlly Acecptel 1 Daylesfonl Uncertain ' No. 1 Quartz Heef Accepted I Re-filling trench and mending fence ... 10 No. 3 Pleasant Creek ' Aeceptd , Saplings on by-wash an:! bank cutting down 2 No. 9 Fom Posts Aceeplell I Sapling~ on by-wash alHl bank cn!ti11g down 2 Bnninyong Uneert:tin Cntting clown b:mk ::nd repairing ... 40 Amherst I~e£nse:l Re-drcs,.iug npper lowcriug hy-wn::-ll, Hihl repair- 30 fence 'V mhlerburn .Accepted White Horse Ranges Acceutml !Iomebnsh Uncc~·taiu Lowering hy-wash one foot IO Total APPENDIX No. 25. Agncultural LaLoratory, 49 Qneen-strcet, :MclLJourne, 1·1 th Angnst, ] 8()0. The llonorahle Alfred Dcaldn, N.L.A., Minister of TVater Suppl!J. Sm, I have the honour to forwanl a report of the work tlone in this laboratory for Ow Department of Victoria \Vater Supply dnring the yenr ending 30th ,June, 1!:!!)0. The arrangement for carrying out this work has been the same as dnring the prcvions yeHr; the Department of \Vater Supply having paid the salary of a special assistant, who performs the water :wnlyses, nml who, in return for bhoratory accom modation, ami for supervision awl the writin.!i of reports by me, devotes a portion of his time to the general work of the laboratory. The following is a statement of hi~ work duriug the past year, as compared with the previous year :- 1889-90. Yaluc of Factor of NumlJer of Analyses. Value Aual)·sc::!" 1- - ··---··--··--· -··--··------ 595 35 X I7 waters for irrigation ") 68o 40X I7 , potability I I2 6x 2 B eers nnd mangels g•·own by .Mr. j For Department of W aler Snpply. \_\'est, with irriga-, twn 32 2X i I6 \Vimmera soils for salt) I s~ i 30 30 X I w atcr for live stock ~ JI2 6x 52 l\1: mures, ineompletc I2 X com Jlete ., . . 300 :zs ii~ I I' or Department of Agnculture. 385 3 5 X I I So I)6 6x 26 Beets for sugar 12 3X 4 .1\fi sPell an ea I I9 30 30 X I water for boiler use-Fry Bros. (fee paid). I X I ,500 Sal t in Y arra wa tor-Treasnror's Department. I ,672 To tals. I 54 APPENDIX No. 25-continued. 1888-9. ----~-~----~------···· Value of ll'actor of Number of Ann. lyses. Value. Anu.lys:es. -- i 2 Waters for irrigation 5 5 35 X 15 } For Department of Water Supply. 120 40 X 3 , potability 6f5 18 6o 30X 2 Waters for live stock ' 4-5 4-5 X I Wine !80 15 X 12 Foods (For Department of Agriculture. 168 12 X 14 :Mannres \ 54 6x 9 Miscolhmea ' 45 45 X Water for public health-For Department of Lalllls. 57 Totals. All the above analyses, except the great majority of the salt dctermiuations in the Yarra, were done in duplicate, aml where discrepancies appeared were repeated until agreement was obtained. In the above table the number of analyses is given, and also a series of numl1ers representing the actual quantity of work. This number~'' V Rlne of Analyses "-is obtained by multiplying each class of analysis by a factor representing the comparative :Jmount of time and attention required for each. This gives a more correct idelt of the work done than a simple statement of the number of analyses. It will be seen thnt the total work porformeJ by Mr. Scott, the water mmlysis assistant, last year was l,G72 analyses, of a Yalue of 4,044 ; as compared with 57 analyses, of a value of 1,1!:!7, for the previous year. These totals consistml of 52 analyses (viz., 34 waters, and 18 miscellaneous), having a value of 1,319, for the Department of \Vater Supply; 1,500 analyses, having a value of 1,500, for the Treasurer's Department ; and 122, having a value of 1,225, for the Department of Agriculture. This record shows a considerable improvement in the quantity of work done. I am also able to testify to a con-esponding improvement in qunlity. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, A. N. PEARSON, Government Agricultural Chemist. --··---~··--~··---- 55-56 APPENDIX No. 25-continued. TABLE I.-RESULTS OF ANALYSIS OF POTABLE WATERS, STATED IN PARTS PER 100,000. Extracts from Dr. Katz's Biological Report on Samples I Sediment. Dissolved Matters. Hardness. gathered in M:treh, 1890. Odour. Colour. Microscopical Examination of Sediment, When heated Of 2 feet depth. aod Biological Notes. to 40° C. Microbes in ncubic Microscopical Examination centimetre. of Sediment. ~--1------r------ No. Brown, nearly Slight, earthy... Euplota, fairly numerous 87; most colonies liquefy- ' Slight dusty sediment. Vegetable II'425 3'00 transparent ing; 6 species debris; micrasterlas, ln moderate 1. From Solomon's Gully Reser numbers; closterium, euglena viridis, voir ; supplying Quarry diffiugia, scarce. Hill, Sandhurst Light brown, Slight, metallic Vegetable hairs or hyphoo, 337; liquefying colonies Sediment moderate, with hits of reddish z. Big Hill Reservoir; supply· ·8917 'I454 '034 II'3oo 2'39 I'8o '274 2'00 2'95 Paramecia planariola, numerous ; 4 or 5 brown colour. Vegetable debris, slightly foggy diatDms, micrasterias, monads, pa~ ing the higher levels of brown cells like dif. species tnecia., diffiug-ia, euglena, and clos Sandhurst and Eaglehawk fiugia monads terium. Very little sediment, and 100; mostly non-liquefy Hardly any sediment; a trace of vege. '0980 'I948 'OI04 'OOI 6 '0016 2.'77 Colourless, trans· Scarcely any, l· Crusoe Clear ·water Basin, '2I79 'Io18 I7'550 1'47 I'OO :1.'28 I '77 s·6o '3'55 parent but slightly containing nothing but ing ; 4 species ; a few table debris. after lime treatment metallic a little mineral dust, mould growths I with one or two desmids ( closterium) I Brown, half Somewhat me Radiolaria ( actinopltrys) 33 ; one -third being Sediment, large accumulation of •o61 I'98 1'08 '30 I '7I '77 2'50 ·2920 ·3812 ·oo&s ·ooo8 ·oo2o '79 brownish frfl!.(ments. Vegetable 4· Expedition Pass Reservoir 3·567 r964 I6'350I 4"8I 13'87 opaque tallic and euchelia, fairly liquefying; 4 species ile'bris, brown ciliateil vegetable cells, outlet; supplying Chewton I numerous ciliated ini:usoria, ammba, monads, I micrasterias, protococcus, all some~ what scarce. I Tlnn layer ot whitish dust, with here '0016 Pale greenish Slight, metallic Broken cortex cells; life 9 ; liquefying colonies and there a trace of vegetable debris. 5· Castlemaine Settling Ponds ro7o '415 ·o35 I6·oso 2·88 'I5 '47 2'40 3'IO 3'44 yellow, trans- and earthy negative almost absent; 5 Clear 'Vater Basin, after parent species lime treatment; supplies Castlemaine Light brown, Slight, earthy '3 I 2.'05 2.'73 ·oo93 •ooo8 ·ooo8 '34 '32 6. Malmsbury Reservoir, lower '277 9'700 I'7 5 I'ZI '57 foggy and stagnaot inlet '0016 xo8; mostly non-liquefy Slight sediment. .Micrasterias · very 9'942 2·Io 2·6s 'OI52 ·ooo8 '16 7· MalmsburyReservoir,middle '276 ing; 6 species numerous; closterium) monads, and inlet amrn ha scarcf'. 2'IO 2'78 'I 590 ·2708 'OifO ·ooo8 ·ooi6 'I3 Light brown, Slight, stagnant } 8. ~blmsbury Reservoir, upper '330 9'875 transparent inlet 'OOI6 9· Malmslmry Reservoir, outlet I'062 I0'875 z'Io lz·98 ·oo99 ·ooo8 '79 I . . . 6 ; mostly liquefying ; 4 Sediment Yery &light. Vegetable IO'OOO 2'205 1"33 '77 1'74 'I8 '24 2·oo z·6s ·oio8 ·ooo8 'OOI6 ·o6 ·69 debris, monads, roicrasteria.s, all '202 1 10. Maldon Pipe Head Reservoir; I '340 species sea. re e. supplies 1\ialdon ... 333; mostly non-liquefy Sediment very slight. Micrasterias, 1'05 I'IO I'04 2'00 3'IO ·o104 .ooo8 ·oor6 vegetable debris, n1onads, and brown II. Taradale Reservoir, outlet; ·o6o I2'450 I'71 1'25 77 '59 ing; 5 species cells, all very scarce. supplying Taradale town ship Brownish yellow, Slightly metallic Diatoms, very numerous; I 55; liquefying colonies Sedhnent considerable, mostly vege~ '23 I'3I 'JZ 'I569 ·zs8o •oo96 ·ooo8 ·oo2o I'll table debris and baG>teria. Closterium u. Sebastian Reservoir; supply '35 I foggy desmids, numerous ; in numerous; apparently fairly BUmerous ; micrasterium, oos ing Sebastian fusaria, a few; bacteria, 5 species marium1 and monads, all scarce. numerous Brownish grey Slightly metallic Cyclops; diatoms, numer I 16; liquefying and non Sediment very considemble; mostly 1'30 '24 79 vegetable debris and baderia. Clos· 13. Raywood Reservoir; supply· I2'820 3'93 '34 ous ; desmids, fairly liquefying about equal; terium, n1icrosterias, and monads, all ingRaywood numerous; infusoria, a 6 species ; a few mould scarce. few; bacteria colonies Ciliateinfusoria; euchelia, 34-6; mostly liquefying; Yellowish fine mass and yellowish I'I6 '22 '32IO ·s28o •oo93 ·ooo8 •oo2o •oS Brownish grey, Slight, stagnant brown fragments. Yeg·etable debris. 14. Crocodile Reservoir; supply. 1'666 '474 '03I I0'775 2'19 1'54 '53 '39 muddy,almost fairly numerous; bac· 5 species Numerous brown ciliated cells (vege ing Fryerstown opaque teria table); few monads and euglena viridis. ------1------1------______, ____ , ______------1------ •oo37 •ooi2 ·ooo8 2'34- Light brownish None ... Only slight trace of sedi 15. Boring at Mordialloc ... Trace 6:1.'40 yellow,slightly ment, consisting of red foggy earth; no life ·o707 ·o8I4 '002I '0012. ·ooo8 '16 2'24 16. Boring at Mordialloc (znd Trace 79'25 2.5'95 4.57 Contains also 1'381 phosphoric acid, 45'45 carbonic add (much of it sample) •8 I Strongly Colourless, trans· Faint, earthy ... K o life ; a good deal of '72.0 17'o8o 29'3IO 2.1'995 2'330 I'490 Nil Nil '0020 'OOI6 Nil being loosely combined), and J''JO volatile matters (probably w3;ter of I7. No. x Bore at Kyneton ... 2'57I I45'05 I0'030 alkaline, parent mineral debris, with a combination in the dried residue). Should be classed as a nnneral = IOI'2 few bits of organic water. parts of debris caustic soda -·---1-----·- ---·- -1------·--···--·---·------·l----l---:l------'----1----l·---1------·----··------l .. . Microbes liquefying gela 'I030 ':1.:1.10 '013I ·oo05 'OI37 I ·o3 Slightly Darkish yellow Slight Yan Yean-average of 5 (Masson) alkaline tine, 5 in I c.c.; mi crobes not liquefying gelatine, 34 in I c. e. I'6o 'OOI3 'OI54 Very dark and J ackson's Creek Channel (Mas son) II'300 opaque Very pale yellow I4700 ·ooss ·o557 ·o934 ·ooos ·oo45 I4'8I 5'43 Grand Junction (Blyth) ...... '0250 '0070 '0030 '07 I'68 Derbyshire Hills, as supplied to 6'300 Manchester (Roscoe)-Good 78oo ·o90o '4320 5'04 10'08 - Surface well (Roscoe)-Bad ... 53"000 H No. 147. 57 TABLE Il.-RESULTS OF ANALYSIS OF lnRIGATION wATERS. Contents of Water Quantity and Value of Material carried on to Sediment. per xoo,ooo ... an Acre of Land. Total Value, as ,--'-.. --~-~~ -.. shown 'I Samples Percent a." e. With 1 inch of Water. gathered Composition, li!.Bt In -·~~~~~~---"··-·-~-- Total and Amount In Fedlmcnt. Value. year. per xoo,ooo Solution. of Water. In Sediment. In Solution. -----~-- lbs. pence lbs. pence No. r. From No.I Chan Nitrogen (as nitrates) 'OIS '043 '43 nel Tragowel Plains , (organic and 1'200 . IJI '004 '249 I '24 ·oog '07 Irrigation Trust. ammoniacal) Sample gathered ou Phosphoric acid '336 ' 053 '070 '18 '119 ·6o zsth July' I88g, at a Potash 1 ·o58 ·6u '2I7 '22 I'J85 4. IS point 27~ miles from Lime . 877 2'257 ·I 68 5' I 11 Serpeutine Sluice, Chlorine u · &gs and directly adjoining ---- land to be irrigated. Total sediment 1o·g56 T uta! value with 1 in. of 6 1~d. std. 20 us. s~d. 8s. 9.Jd. ------No. z. From Channel Nitrogen (as nitrates) •z8z8, ·640 6'40 of Yatchaw Irriga- , (organic nnd 3 '498 'ISO . I757 1 '317 1'59 '400 3'20 tion Trust." Sample I ammoniacal) I gathered on znd July, : Phosphoric acid '438 .OI9 ·o358 ·ozs •o6 ·o8o '4'l I 88g. I Potash II '546 '496 '59591I'III l • I I 1' 349 4'05 1 Lime ... '393 '103 zs·Soool 'I83 !35'763 i Chlorine 10'73501 ------I, Total sediment 4'2959 IS. 4~d. " -----z8s. otd. No. 3· Mitchell 1U1·er. Nitrogen (as nitrates) '009 '093 Site of proposed Head , (organic and 10·844 2'0 '002 '014 Works. 14th Angnst, ammoniac.'tl) 1889. Phosphoric acid IJmktcrminc'l Uud(tenltincd: 1· 346 Potash " 3'381 Lime " Chlorine ---- Total sediment 6td. 20 iiS. 4~d. ---~------~ ------No. 4· GoulbumlUn·r, .Kitrog·cn (as nitrates) I '0030, ·o68 at Murchison. 7th , (orgauic and Uuth:termiuc-d ·ooLz.. '022 February, 18go. mnmoniacal) I I Phosphoric acid Potash Lime " Chlorine " ~-~-~ Total sediment ;1.0 No. 5· Glenelg River, Nitrogen (as nitrates) 'OOJ6i atMoora Moora. Oct., , (organic and 'OlJ2 '028 !889. ammonincal) Phosphoric acid ... Undetermined j :::::1 Potash , 'I 318 1 Lime . 50 50\ Chlorine " 3 '20001 Total sediment Total value with rin. of " zo No. 6. Gleuelg River, Nitrogen (as nitratl-s) '00331 at Balmoral. qth , (organic and ·zs '0144 "0012 October, I 889. ammoniacal) Phosphoric acid ... Uu:leterminctl Unt1etermiucd '05521 l'otash '2602i Lime " '7575,' Chlorine " " '5300: Total sediment 5'7940 Total value with Iin. of water · 78 zo " 15 ·oo No. 7· Mather's Creek, Nitrogen (as nitrates) '00121 at Balmoml. 13th , (organic and '244 '039 ·ooz5 ·o4I '205 October, 1889. nmmoniacal) Phosphoric acid ... ·o624l·o46 'liS '141 Potash I '4IOOIZ '040 z '040 3 '191 Lime 1'2510 ·140 I z·8p Chlorine 5 · 46ooi : Total sediment Total value with rin. of watc;l 2 • 360-,--=:-1--;;;-:- ,, zo , l47·2o I Value of zoin., exclusive of No. 147, l 58 TABI.E H.-RESULTS 0~' ANAI.YSJS OF IrmlGATION WATEns-cdntinued. Sediment. Conten~s of W.atcr Quantity a.nd Ynlue of Mntcrial cnrrlcd on to }1CT 100,000, an Acl'<: of Lund. i Total Valu~, ns shown by Percentag(?, Samples Witb I inch of wa:er. Composition, 1 and Amouut In Total gn~::;ed In Sediment. 1 pPr rootooo Solution. Value. of Water. In Sediment. In Solution. lbs. pence lbs. pence No. 8.· Ovcna]{iver, sec ~itrogcn (as nitrates) yurds above junction. '002Jl - , (orgnnic and '599 '02! '00121 '009 '045 rsth February, 1890· ammoniacal) Phosphoric acid ... '106 ·o86oi - 'I9S Potash ... ••• ·rog '6JI Lime ••• ••• '280 I'J92 Chlorine ... •.• --·~··--.--.---,_, __-__ ~ ______,_- ___ ,_-___ ---- -1~---- ______,__ -__ _ Total sediment ... Total value with 1 in. of water ·o4s - 2 · 942: 3d. , 20 , '900 - 58' 840 SS, JS. 7/.;d. ------1------·-----·---·-----1----11------1------No. 9· King River, at Nitrogen (as nitrates) Como. rsthll'ebruary, , (organic and Unuet:,lne No. JO. m\'er I"oddon, Nitrogen (as nitrates) •oosSI - - '017 above junction with , (organic and • 8 s ( ?) ·oo6(?) ·oo25i ·on(?) ·oss(?) '045 Serpentine Creek. ammoniacal) r89o. 9th .February, Plwsphoric acid ... 1'00 •oo6g '0494 '014 'OJS 'I I 2 PofaE>h ...... 1'19 ·oo8J . 487 '017 '017 ' 1'!02 Lime ...... 2'05 '0144 8'300 'OJO -- I . 787 -I Chlorine ...... 43'4oo - (Salt) . 886 1 - 1 '~-----'-~----1·-----1-·-~·-- 1------1------Total sediment ... --.-6;ss- Total value with I in. of water · 107 1 3 · ~si 4d. , zo , :2 14.0 - 78 5~1 6s. 8id. ~--·~--:-----·------·-~1------!-----l------i------No. II. Broken River. Nitrogen (as nitrates) '003 '028 at W Benalla. 14tli , (organic and '003 '022 March, 189o. ammoniacru) .;6 I Phosphoric acid ... lind~t,.rmined Cndetc·mined . IS I Potash ...... '599 Lime ...... " " Chlorine ...... " " i J'~l " Total sediment ... I'o2) Totalvaluewithiin.ofwater '278' - 2'6o3i z§d. , 20 " 5' 560 52'06oi 48. 9id, I -·-·------~,- ·1------~---,--- No. 12. Campaspe Nitrogen (as nitrates) '004 ·oo8 River, near the Gauge, , (organic and 1'197 '022 'OOJ '223 ·oo6 at Hochcster. 28th ammoniacttl) :March, 189o. Phosphoric acid ... 'Oil ·o6s '021 '053 '732 Potash ...... '027 ·697 'OS7 '057 4'73+ Lime ... •.. '045 1'927 ! '098 Chlorine ... ••• 6'4IJ I - i ------~--- -·------·1---- Total sediment ... 1'847 I value with I in. of water '333 - s·6oo 6d. I ------'-'____ z_o ______, ____ 6_· 6_6_o ____ -___ II2 • ooo: 9s. 1 oid. No. 13. Mnrray Hiver, :Nitrogen (as nitrates) 'OOJ31 '007 '074 at Tintaldm. 29th , (organic and 1'307 '026 '0012 ·o6o 'OOJ '022 March, r89o. ammoniacal) I'hosphoric acid ... '015 •oss Potash ...... 213 '260 I.ime ...... '027 '757 Chlorine ... •.. I '53° Total sediment ... 2'249 Total v:tluc with r in. of water · 864 2 '488 Jid. n 20 :' 17•28o 49. 760 ss. 7d. ------1-----,1------1·--- No; 14. Mnrray Hiver, 1 Nitrogen (as nitrates) '0018 - '004 '042 Albury. 18th March, , (organic and 'ooo8 '029 '002 '015 I890· ammoniacal) Phosphoric acid ... Undetermined Unde:ermlned '0431 Potash ...... ·r3or " " '36oo " " '4240 ------1------i------'-···---:-·----:------l------l------:------Total sediment ... Total Yalue with 1 in. of water: · 145 I '428 1~. , zo , ! ·:z.so :>.8' S60 2S, 7!d. 59 TA nLE II.-Ihsci.TS OF .ANAI.YSIS OF IrmiGATIOX "\V A TEns-continued. ('ontz·nts of ·\Vat<'r Qu:\nUty nnd Yal1~c z,f carriell on to per 1 oo,cco, au Acre Total Value, ae: shown by Samples Percentage, With 1 inch of W<>tcr. gathered Composition, Jh Total last and .Amount In Sediment. Yalue. year .. per Sulutlon. ol In Sediment, In Solntion. lbs. pence No. IS. Murray River, (as 11itmtos) '0012; at Echuca. I5th (organic awl I ·865 'OI3 'COI2j 'oz8 March, I89o. ammoniacal) UU!!Jl!JiUrJ.C acid rnaetcnnincd Undctcrmiucil '048 '250 " ·6oo Chlorine " " I ·o6o Total sediment ·;o;8 Total value with I in. of 2gd. 20 4s. o~d. " No. 16. Murray River, Kitrogen (as nitrates) at Mildura. I8th , (organic and 'oo8(?) '016 March, 1890. ammoniacal) rhosphoric acid Undetermined Potash 4. 204 Lime 2"926 Chlorine Totnl sedim€nt · 540 20 Nitrogen (ns nitrates) '0016' , (organic and '916 '00331 '0165 ammoniacal) Phosphoric acid U11dctermined ·o;; l'otash I' 48 3 Lime " 7. 380 Chlorine 37'8c;o Total scdimc•nt Total value with I iu. of 20 Value of 2oin., excluding potash Nitrogen (as nitrates) 'OOTO , {organic and 'OII4 ·oot6'1 ammoniacal) . . : The chloril1e in this sample wa~ Phosphoric acid 0 Potash • ~~~ , largely in excess, so that it 3 1 coul .APPE~DIX No. 25-continued. REPORT ON THE W .ATER-.ANALYSIS OPERATIONS DURING 18H9-90. During the year cndecl 30th June, 1890, thirty-five samples of water were annlyze.l in this laboratory for the Department of "\Vater Supply. Seventeen of these were examined for their potability, and ei~hteen for their manurial value in irrigat.ion. All the analyses were done in duplicate, and in ca~:;c of discrepancy were repeated until agreement was obtained. TnE PoTABI.E \VATERS. The potable water; includecl H samples from the Colihan \Vater Su11ply, 2 from a boring nt Monlialloc, null 1 from Kyneton. The result,; of :malysis are given in Table L, hereto nppendecl. In reference to the Coli ban waters, it is nece,;~ar.r to stat.e that the samples were not gathered by me um· under my supervision, that tlu;~y were forwanlell for analysis some time after they Lad beeu gatherell, and in numbered bottles with uo name attached, alH1 that at the time uf reportin~ on the~e waters, I was not. aware that there was any t!ispnte in regard to their qualities. Therefore, the aboYo analyses must be regarded as refeniug only to the samples submitted to me, and do not admit of any genom! decision being llrawu from them 11s to the quality of the Colilmn waters. }'or a general dccit~icn, the samples require to l•e jmlieiomly selected throngh tLI! entire ;;eason. It is ulso always d('simblc that the smuples ~honld l.Jo p-aihercd umler the direct supcrrision of the analyst. l have mT:mg-cd t.lmt this ~hall he done in fntun'. Awl iu n,gnrd to the Coliban waters, it will he mhioable for tlwm to Le systematimlly nnalyzcd during the coming summer. 60 In regard to the standard of purity required in pota,ble waters, the time ha;, perhaps arrived when it would be well to have the subject re-discussed in these colonies. The question to be asked is-should the same absolute st!tmlard he required in the~e newly settled eountrics as ir; maintrducd in older and more dmu;ely populated cmmtries? It is to be homo in miu:l, that in Euglnnd, 1dwre chiefly the sy~tcms of water annlysb now in vogue h:ne been worked out, nearly the whole nim of the mwlysi~ of potal!le waters is to find out if the wttter has beeu contrtminatetl with Eewage. At the time when the Rivers Pollution Commission sat in Englaml, nnd the whole question of the purity of the water supply was updcr discussion, it wa" readily agreed that the chief thing to be avoided in potable waters was contamination with decaying animal matters, and especially with sewage ; not that sewage and animal substances were in themselves poisonous, when prescmt in minute tmecs, but that when clmwn from diseased sources they were likely to convey the germs of cli~ease. H was uot po~sihle by chemieal means to dccicle ·whether the animal ma,tters coutaiue,J in a sample of water were ueril'ed from a healthy or from n tli~ca~cd source. It was, therefore, decided ns a safe eour;;c, to condemn nil waters which ~howetl sign" of contamination. It could not, howeYer, be insisted upon, that no waters containing traces of animal snbi:ilauees should he admitted; for 11s a matter of faot, ~earcely any natural 'l'aters a.rc free from them. \\'atcrs in river.", brooks, lakeP, nml, to a less extent, in ,;prings, contain animal mMten:>, altogether apart from sewage or drainage contami nation. Fish, and nulous ar1uatie nuimal forms, some larg-e, many mieroscopic, live and die in thc~e waters; and moreover, both lam! and water fowl constantly drop refuse into them. A certain minimum, therefore, of auimal matter was com:idered quite passable, ami water~; cuntainiug no morG than this minimum could, othet· things being equal, be placed in the first c!~tso. In England, it. was quite natural that attention shonld thus be gh·cn to the contamination of potable waters ; for the clear rivers, which had long supplied the home wants of the people, were-by the growth of population, the establishment of towns 011 the river banks, the adoption of the water-closet system, and the free discharge of waste from factories into the water-courses-beeomiug palpably o:ffensil·c. River,; which once were sweet ami crystal streams were becoming mnddy and foul. The river A ire, in Yorkshire, on the banks of which I spent my earliest days, is now as black as ink. I have seen documents written with it. Yet, not more than 100 years ago, it was a beautiful stream, tmd the snbject of local poetry. At Castlefonl, a town at the junction of the Aire with the Cnhlcr, the following couplet long survived the pollution of the riYcrs- "The Castleford lasse~ may well be so fair, Washed in the Calder and bathed in the Aire!' Thi6 is cYidcnce to show that people had been accnstomc!l to cle~r and crystal water, and that when these clear waters became muddy and discoloured it was in CO!l6equencc of pollation. Hence in EnglalH1, with its crowllcd popnbtiou, affording so many sources of coutamiuation, mudclincss, and discolouration was quite naturally regarded as an index or contamination with sewage awl refuse. And there is no (]oubt that this i~ the geuuml feeling now existing iu tlmt country; yet OI'Cil there it has been recognised that some discolourctl '"aters may be readily admit tcd for domes! ic use. "ln !listricts where peat abounds, water, which is sensibly coloured by d i~soi ved organic snlJ~tn nee, b common] y n~cd for drinking purposes without any deleteriou~ results" (virie 1Vatt's Dirt, Cltem. Vol. V, p, lU:?2). In the majority of streams in Englaud, however, di~colonrntion an1l want. of clearneo~ i~ rig·htly r<'gnnled rtn an index of dangerous contamination; and when prc~eut, in1licates the nceessity of it:qnir.v a6 to the source of contamination. That source having be••n •.li~covered, it then remains either to eut oft tl:c etream from this sonrce, or, if tbb be dcemcll impracticable or nu feasible, then to tlwrougltly purify the water by the n~ual methods before 1lclh·ering it: for home liS(:. Am!, tmqucstionably, m:tler ;;uch circumstances the nser of such water would lmve a rigbt to dentnlld thnt it ~hculd be purifietl and dceolouriznl. Dut. l1ow does the case stand in regard to those waters in thi,; colony, which take their ri: TnE InnrG.o\TIO:>< \VA TEns. In regard to the irrigation waters, the resnlts of the years' analyses (given in Ta1Jle ll.) entin·ly confirm the results of the pnwious yenr. Tbey show Hmt the amount carried on to an acre of land by 20 inches depth of the i:rigating water, would vary from 2R. up to 28e. in value, according to .:VIelLJonrno current rates. It is noticeable that in ne:trly all the waters the constitncnt present in largest quautity is the potash ; iu some, as for instance in l\Iather's Creek and in the Netherby well, it i;,; a constituent bnt little required, since the surrounding soils are rich in potash. The most remarkable water yet exami nod is the Yatchaw Irrigation Tmst's w:tter, which indicates a valno of 28s. per acre, 20 iuehes deep. The richness in this water is made up hy the lrtrgc mnonut o!' nitrogen, whioh is present iit sufficient quantity to m:1.ke one snspieious of pollntion from a sanitary point of view. The water was very dark in colom, and considerably eharged with peaty matter. Jn all the waters the mnitor in solution wa,; llliH.!lt more valua],le thaR the sediment. In last year's report it was rc·marked that all the sediment~ had been found to llO richer than a first ela~s soil. The 0\·ous Hh·er, however, has this year afforded n Btunple of sediment which, excepting as regards nitrogen, woul<1 be classed as a poor soiL The sample from the Hivcr Lmldon, taken tltis year, contahw(l a high pen·enta,ge of mit. Last year the Tragowel I)lains, No. 1 Main Channul eontained a high pereeutnge of Fnlt; wlwrcas this year it containe.l an ordinnry quantity. 'Jho All:mvalc CrPek Rampl<', mentioned in Table II., containeu n prohilJitury alll')tlnt of salt; but n c:ample of this same ueck, mwlyzetl rccmttl:·, and taken while the crct·k was in flco I, contains only an ol'llinary amount. lt is cddeut that the salt in tl1e t'(reams i!owing aet·o.,;o the salty plai11~ will he liable to yary considerably. Last year the sample from the G lenelg Bi,·cr, tnkcnuenr tlw Jbhgnllah lhidgc, was found to contain a prohibitory amount of salt. This year samples wero taken fwm tlte ~nmc river, higher up the stream, at ;\loom J\1oom and at Balmoral, ulw from the :.\lather's Creek, nt D:dmoraL S:tmple3 of the soil proposed to be irrigatetl by thP:'C waters were also obtainetl. ::'\either the waters no1· the wils, nor suhi No. 147. 62 APPENDIX No. 26. W ATER-BORING.-TABLE OF RESULTS. I I I Water Struck. Locality, No. I Commence Narrewillock. Marmal ... I IS I 20.7.S9 2 I .S.8g I 209, I go I IS I Brackish . Mordialloc. Mordialloc ... I 6 I I I.l 1.89 I 22.2.90 I 198 I I9S I Tosurface I Fresh."' Ballyrogan. Ballyrogan ... I 4 21+90 I In progress I lOO I 54 I I Fresh. Nhill to Murray. Netherby 3 9·7·88 3· I 2.S9 i 2,200 134 Fresh. Chinaman's Flat 7 12.8.89 29.3.90 I 1,473 95 Stock. Lily Swamp s 14.1.90 In progress! 545 6o Salt. Milmed In progress 9 20.5·90 1 Donald to Murray. Five-mile Tank 110 ... 1 4 22.7.89 : 24,12.89 785 Salt. 53 I Salt. " s6o 530 Salt. Banyan" Tank 5 13.1.90 In progress 59° 130 Salt. 540 Fresh ; small " supply. • At 15 feet from surface can be pnmped at rate o! z,7oo gallons per bour. CIOUII• \.lll~, UA Lt~hr L______I . ! ---1 --,- c-0------~- 0-Ci OtVtLOPEO LONGITUDINAL S£CTI010S II:OW.ll'OITM.. SCAt.t 6 MILES T() 1 IICGH VEK'l'"AL "' 1000 TEE1" " I ~· --1 ·- I BORING FOR WATER llllrs noOM NHILL AliD DONALD m 111r MUI\RAY PLAN SHOWING SITES Or BORES StALE s MtL£5 TO -I INCH COUIITY IJQUIIJJ.dflS __ . .Tl#JS RAtLil'AYS .. --. _ ROADS I .. ,- =, I /IIAili.IJCD.l>UTJI\'!!~Kt .,,,.la~~ ! BORING FOR WATER IN THE MALLEE PLAN fOR CUIDANCE IN ruTURE OPERATIONS DIAGRAM SHOWING NECESSARY CONDlTIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL BORING PLAN AND SECTIONS SHOWING THE EXISTING CONDITIONS IN THE MALLEE. 80V.~mo~" or f'ltiM.4.1fY~.n ·-----.. /'··-·· SCAt,ES 9011! (;}MJ"L£T£l1 B APPE~l>IX Xo. 20. LIST OP ENGINEERS WHO HAVE BEEN CRANTED CE1n'IF1CATES AS EX,;JNEERS OF WATEI{ SCPPLY, LNDEtt SECTTUN \11 OF "THE HW.l(L\TION ACT 1~'\(i.'' W. \Y. Cnldwih, M.l.C.E. N. E. Jeuni11gs, :\Ll.C.E. G. J. Burkc, 1\LI.C.K W. Bago, :u.E. J. D. Den·y, ~I.I.C.E. U. J,u,;don, A.l\l.I.C.E. C. A. Buyer, A.l\L I.C.E. T. C. Hodgsou, C.E. .J. S. Bocman, A.:M. LC.E. .J. Bnm."', ::\I.I.C.E. C. A. D'EI>ro, A.:i'.I.I.C.K G. Gol'llou, ~I.I.C.E. E. .J. llawkin~, A.1U.C'.E. 1?. JH. Calc, A.M.I.C.E. \V. Hondcroou, A :\LI.C.E. H. 0. ILI,~nn, :1\LI.C.E W. Mercer, :L;\l.LC.E. T. :H. llmnlcu, C.E. C. IV. Smith, A :\I.l.C.E. ,J. Lnwil, jnlll'., C. E. C. E. Albrceht C.E. W. ll. s,.,;tt, :\I.I.C.E 8. Hor,doy, C:.E. W. l'urkc;r, A.1Ll.C.E. H. C. Kciupson, C. E. L. P. l\loline, A.l\LI .C. E. H. A. King, C:.E. T. l\lurmy, C.E. W. S. l\Imrny, C.E. G. ".\IeKenzie, C.E. J. 'J'ipping, C.E. Alex. C. Smith, C.E. T. W. Fowl<~r, M.E.A.l\f.LC.E. Etlwnrd ::'-r. Hnme, A :1\l.I.C.E. C. E. Ulh·el', A.M.I.C.E. .J. T. Arrow, A.:l\I.I.C.E. F. H. :\Inhouv, .A ..:\l.LC.E. D. \V. McArlimr, "\.'.1.1 C.E. \V. Dowdun, ·c. E. Tlws. Dlllilop, ,\.M.I.C.E. G. II. Dunlop, C.E. ,James S. J5ntkr, C.E. F. \V. TlJOm:;on, B.E. Alfre;l ,Jno. ?\onil, C.E. ,J. A. Grilii.ths, A.M.l.C.E. Albcrt Ca~~on Smith,A.:l\LI.C'.E. W. F. Bell, C.E. Chri,.;topher ,Jobson, .\.:\l.I.C.E. H. V. Chmnpion, C.E. ,J. A. llewler,0n, A.:\I.l.<'.K ,J. G. Starr, C.E. A. ,T. Hodgkiuson, A.:U.I.C.E. W. A. Caner, A.M.J.C.E. ,J. T. Xoble Alt(lorcou, B. A, U ..E. A. Cltwton, A . .M.LC.E. Wm. Errington, ::\f.LC.E. W. G. 'Kerle, A.M.I.C.E. Riehanl Wallunti, A.:l\J.l.C.E. APPENDIX No. 30. "WATER ACT 1890," PART HL--REGULATfONS.-CEHTJFICATES AS ENGINEERS OF WATER SUPPLY. In pur~nanee of the provisions of Fart fli., seetion 223, of th(• fl.f!tl'i' A."t l~!:.U (:14 \'iet. No. 11 the Gon:n:or in Conn<·il hns made the snhJoinell Re~nlation:' rrovidin~~ for ilw <;xnmination of pnwus desirous of obtaining Certilleates a,.; Et1giueer" of \Yatcr Snpply, ill Ji,,a of' thl' Hegnl:tliun:; in that helwlf rnrrde on the 1::\th dny of .Mareh, 1H8i, and puhli,;]wd in the Gocrrii/1/PIIl Gazelle 011 the lHth tby of Mureh, 1881. ALFHED DEA.KIN, .1\IiJJi,ter or Wntcr Supply. Department of ·water Supply, 'Melbonme, I st Sepicmuer, 189\1. Hna:LATIOss. Intending candidates must give notice, in writing, of their intentiou to prn L 64 PrrELIMINARY CoNDITIONS. ]. A c:tndidntc :~n;t ~~ ,t ,nember, or nu assoeiate member, of tbe Institute of Civil Engineers of J,otulon; or a certificated engineer, or ma-ter of enginPcring, of our~ or the GniYersities of the Australian Colonies or New Zealan QUALIFICATIOXS. I. Candida-tes who~e applications lm\'e been approved under pr<>lirninnry condition 1 will be required to show, to the sl\tisfat:tion of the Board, that they ha,·e been eaJployed for not less than five years in some responsible professioun I capacity, in the (lcsign, construction, an cl ~llpcrvi$ion of hydraulic works, aml that the works earried out bv them have been of a Hnccessfnl and sati~!'actorv (,Jmracter. Il. Candidates '~·hose applications have !won approved nndcr preliminary condition 2 shall be required to pass an examinat.;on in the following ~ul>ject~ nUBJECTS 01<' EXA::\Ill'\ATW:X. I.-Surveying. Topographical surveying. Engi ueering trial surveys. PennanPnt mtgineering survey!'!, iHducliHg the setting out of work. Quantities sun·eying. ,Yote.--Candidatos who have obtained the certificate of the Donr IV .-ll:jrlralllic EnginecTing. Gauging of natural and artificial streams, and flow of water over weirs. Compntat ion of the flow of water in channels. Computation of the flow of water in pipes and dosed conclnits. Constrnctiun of resen-oir emlmnkmeuts in masonry an(l enrthwork. Outlet works, waste weirs, and by-washes. Helation of by-wash capacity to catehmeut area and rainfall. Construction of weirs in river channel:;;, Pumping machinery, inclmling moto1·s. Candidates for examination must provide themselves with a book of logaritbms, plotting scales, parallel ruler, an(! all necessary applinHer>;, ( exct·pt. paper) for drawiug aPd computing. They will also be permitted to use Hny ordiuary manual of referenee, or book of tn.hles, which they may bring with them into the examination room; hnt. they will not be permitte.J to leave the room during the progress of the examination. Any candidate who "ball hnve proved, to the satisfaotion of the Board, that he is possessed of qualification I., or who shall have successfully passerl the examination prescribed for qnalificat.ion II., shall be entitled to, all\! shall receive, tile certificate of the Boar,l that he is duly qualified to act as an Engineer of Water Supply, under the provisions of Tl1e Irrigation Act 18'36. Every such certificate shall rihow whether it has been iRsned in respect of sufficient service, the grantee being also the holder of some one of the qualifications referred to in preliminary condition 1, or in virtue of his having satisfactorily pa~sed the examination prescribed by these Regulations. (L.s.) SIG. SCHLA:M, Secretary to the Board of Examiners. Department of Victorian Water Supply, Melbourne . .Approved by the Governor in Council the 1st September, 1890. G. WILSON BROWN, Clerk of the Executive Council. APPENDIX No. 31. STATEMENT SHOWING THE EXTE:N'f TO WlilCH lRHIGATION 'HAS REt;N I'HACTISED BY lRRJG.\TION AND '\VATEH SUPPLY TIWSTS Dl"RING THE .I:'ERIODH INDICATED. of \Vnter U! From Ist ,Tuly, to 15 aercs ... Fruit. trees, ahout 12 acres ~ot measun·d 31st Dt:cember. Vegetables, abotrt 3 acres Werribee 27 acres ... .Fruit trees, about I 5 acres .. , ~ ot nH~n.su red ... i Donwc;tic and stock ~one further Vegetal_)les, about r 2 aeres supply-quantity not whole of dis mcasnrcd of irri.ration 9TI acres .•. 'Whcnt. and oats, ;66 acres . I0.99S,9oo cuhic feet ... I ::s'il 7 9,08 9 a~ res (:trnss, 14 5 acres 1,52-4 acres \Vhcat antl oab, I,JI4 acres I4,004,54o cubic feet .. I g;arden > <~ ra:iH4 1 21 o ueres 1,734 acres ""heat :md oats, ',4 54 acres 17,•93,3•o cubic feet 9 tanks filicd ... 78,266 acres Bnrley, 20 aereo Grn.s~, 26o acres .From 1st .Tuly, 19,36I acres \Vheat a nu oatR. 1 I ,443 acres x68,3oi,320 cubic feet ... I IZ gardens supplied, 74 Eo,G39 acres 31st Decem her, Barley, 264 acres tauks filled Ptl.:tS, I 1 aer(lS Hay, 35 acres Garden, 4 acres 0:. Fallow, 40 rwres Tragowel Plains <::l< Lucerne, 8 acres Grass, 7,556 acres }'rom 1st ,January, 1889, 2,1 7I acres Grass, 2,171 acr0s ... ;,S8o,;Jo cubic feet ... I 20 tanks filled, I g;lrden Go:oco aeres to 3oth .f une, r889 I supplied From Ist July, I 889, to 1,563 acres \Vhent, 623 acres ... I j,o86,15o cubic feet I 10 tanks filled, I' gardens acres JISt December, 1889 roo ncrcs supplied -'• 63 ncrcs Alllber cane, 7 acres Fallow, 20 aeres Grass, aeres From ISt ,January, 189o, 1,307 acres Wheat, I0.737,540 cubic fe(·t 4 tanks filleil, 8 gartlenc. 6o.coo acres to 3oth ,June, r89o Oats, 1 ncres supplied Gras.;, acres Koondrook 674 acres ... \Vhcal, 656 acres 2 watt>rholeR fillcil, I gar. 2,731 acres Oats, I 8 acres den supplied ~il Nil ... Sil 262,5 12,ooo eubif~ feet, for 39o,ooo acres donKstic I 35 aeres .•• Native grasses 4.,o29·3oo cnhic feet 466,720looc fe:et, for About 39o.ooo acres domestic Western \Virnmera I Nil ~il About 39o,ooo acres """l Nil ~il Ab:mt goo.ooo acres \ Bacchus l\1arsh I 889, to 40 aerca ... Not known ... 1'\ot known gro acres )Af"Pn.-.hr.l" J88g 3 acres Lucerne, 19 acres AI>PENDIX No. 32. URBAN \VATER ScPI'LIEs I<'ROM GoLn-FIEI~ns HESERvorns ADlliNISTERl<:n UNDEa THE PnovisiONS OF TiiJ·: La0AI. GovJ<~RN:\H:NT AcT. Name of Town Supplied. Administered by- Nature of Work•. Cost of \\·orks. Remarks. £ £ r. Kilmor<; I,fOO Shire of Immore Gravitation S,.j.OO 2 , 2. Timor .... ! 700 Shire of Tullaroop Gravitation ... J,;oo 2,J84 CO CO APPENDIX No. 33. UIWAN \VATER SurPr.ms AnMINISTl£RED UNDER THJ<: IRRIGATION AcTs. ------·-·-·-·- Name of Town Supplied. Trust by whom Administered. Nature of Works. Cost of Works. Remn.rks. £ £ I. Bacchus Marsh Bacchus Marsh Gravitation and pumping 3.750 3,ooo 2. Dimboola 400 Western Wimmera Pumping z,soo 3,5oo 3· Natimuk 350 W cstern Wimmera Gravitation z,8oo 4,300 1,5oo £'),050 £w,8oo APPENDIX No. 34. RETURN OF THE VARIOus \VATERWORKs IN TIIE CoLoNY oF VIcTOJaA ON 30TH JuNE, 1890, SHOWING THEIR PosiTIONs, SToRAGE CAPACrTn;s, DRAINAGE AREAs, LENGTH OF AQUEDUCTS, MAIN AND RETICULATION PIPES, WITH CosT THEREOF. I.-Works under direct Government control (exclusive of Melbow·nt Water Supply and of Gold-fields Reservoirs). ---··----- Length of- neservoir or Source of Supply. Na.me of Town or District Supplied. Drainage Area. Aqueduct. Tor. Gallons. Acres. m. ell. m. eh. m. eh. m. eh. .£ Malmsbnry 3,2 5 s,ooo,ooo 71,700 I Taradale ... Tamdale 6s,ooo J 53 59 Expedition Pass I zo,cOO,OCO 3,6oo Red Hill r,25o,ooo Castlemaine and Chewton Old Post Office Hill 1 I 2,000,000 7 29 35 Barker's Creek 629, I 3 5,000 3.4-29 42 40 Specimen Gnlly .z,6r8,ooo O';J l ""l Fryers town l Crocodile Gnlly I I 5,407,000 45° 3 I7 2 40 Maldon Green Gully ... I r,soo,ooo 300 17 0 10 0 Big Hill 68,ooo,ooo Big Hill Tank 300,000 Sandhurst ... j I I Crusoe Gully ... 320,000,000 133 fO r 1,069,254 New Chum Tank 23,000 Solomon's Gully 1,25o,ooo Spring Gully ... I:q. 74 I l I 5o,ooo,ooo (iocludiug =i"') Sandhurst District U ppcr Grassy Flat s8,86o,ooo { Lower Grassy Flat 26,8oo,ooo Eaglehawk Sparrowhawk ... r.5oo,ooo 11 Lightning Hill Raywood ... 7,ooo,ooo 573 { Havwood. 2,soo,ooo Sebastian ... + 78 Sel;astian 239,200 Lockwood and Marong Green Gully 3,5oo,ooo ) 2 16 j Upper Stony Creek 3 54,000,000 } Lower Stony Creek I43,000,00C' 3,462 Geelong and Suburb11 Anakie (Pipe Head) 900,000 I~ 3 2 + 1.7 0 84 7 IJovely Banks 6,ooo,ooo 357>337 N ewtown Tank 1 soo,ooo J APPENDIX No. 34-cont'inued. --- H.-WATERWORKS CONTROLLED BY 'WATERWORKS TIWSTS. (A)-UnBAN DISTRICTS. Souree of Supply. Capacity of i TruJ'(t by whom \\""orks were Name of Town Sllppl' -- ~- -- Ge.llons. Gallons. m. eh. m. eh. I m. eh. £ ... Mount St. Bernard Springs ... 5o,ooo I GraYitation ...... I 2 68 I,96o Sevmour Shire. 1. Avenel ... I 2. Bealiba ...... Bcaliha ...... I,ooo,ooo 1 Gravitation ... 0 37 ... 2 I4 1,862 Be~t Bet Shire. 3· Benalla ...... Broken River ...... 4o,ooo I Pumping ...... 8 40 Io,ooo Benalla. 4· Charlton ...... Charlton ...... I 3,ooo,ooo 2o,ooo ' Gmvitatiou::tnd ...... 6 37 8,6oo Avoea United. Pumping I ..., D!tylesford. 5· Daylesford ...... Kaugaroo Creek ... 4o,ooo,ooo 89o,ooo ' Gravitation ... 19 6o I 17 I 16 40 27,000 6. Donald ...... Hichanlsou River ...... 3o,ooo i Pumping ...... 2 20 4,o8o Wirmuera United. 7· Echuca ...... MmTay H.iver ...... 70,ooo I}I>umpirw ...... I4 6 27,3 I9 Echuea Borough. { 50,000 I , m 8. Horsham ...... Wimmera Hiver ...... 3o,ooo l'umping ...... I 0 I I 5 17,855 Horslmm Borough. 00 I • • 9· Kerang ...... Loddon River ...... 2 5,ooo 1 Puml~lll~ ...... 4· 17 9·739 Swan Hill Shire. 1o. K vneton ...... Little Coliban River .. . 29,000,000 6oo,ooo , Grav1tatwn ...... 9 40 12 0 27,5oo Kyneton Shire. 1 I. L~ucefield ...... Garden lint Creek ...... 1 ,ooo,ooo 1 Gravitation ...... 6 5 2 0 7,550 J .. anecficld. I 2. Maryborough ...... MeCallum's Creek ... zoo,ooo,ooo 1,ooo,ooo 1 Gravitation ...... 17 0 I I 0 56,250 :Maryhorongh. 1 3· :Mooroopna ...... Goul bnrn River ...... 2o,ooo I Pumping ...... 3 0 2,soo I4. Murtoa ...... Lake Manna, supplied from ... 40,000 I Gravitation ...... 2 15 I,330 Wimmera River i 1 5· Nagambie ...... Goullmrn River ...... Io,ooo I Pumping ...... 2 40 1,500 I p . ' 16. Nhill ...... Nhill Well ...... 40,000 , umpmg ...... I 68 3·950 17. Numurkah ...... i Brokcu Creek ...... 40,000 I Pumping ...... 3 40 7,5oo I I 0 18. Homscy ...... 1 Boliuda Creek ...... 2 so,ooo ' Gnwitation ... 5 0 6o 4·700 I 9· Shepparton ...... ' Goulhurn River ...... 6o,ooo Pumping ...... 4 0 I 0,9 I 7 20. Swan Hill ...... Murray Hivcr ...... 20,000 Pumping ...... 2 21 6,53 2 I. . .. Bowenvale ...... Gravitation ...... 034 ... 8o 2 Timor \Vest ... ' 22. Upper Macedou ...... Springs, 1\1 ount Mace don ...... Gravitation ...... 2 30 949 2 3. W arr11cknnheal ...... 1 Railway Tank ...... 40,000 Pumpin!!: ...... 0 66 460 I 24. Woodend ...... Ihrbour's Creek ... 6,ooo,ooo 6,ooo Gravitation ... I ... 2 .fO I 3 I6 8,ooo I 25. Yarrawonga ...... MmTay River .•...... so,ooo Pumping ...... I + 0 7,290 Y arm wouga Shire. * * It is proposed to constitute Yarrawonga. as an Urban Trust. APPENDIX No. 34-continued. ll.-continunl-~· ORJ.::S CmrTIWLLED BY vV ATEitWORKS DISTRICTS. Channels. W'cJLq with .1.' v, u.:l~.~~/~ljJHijj Cost . Name of Trust. 'Weirs. Dam<". 'l'ank~. \VindmiHs. Main. Branch. ~---~ 111. eh~ m. eh. £ 20, I 7 I I. A voca United ...... 5 4 IO z. Bet Bet Shire ...... 32 s,693 3. Echuca and W aranga ...... I 5 ... 4 53 0 142 0 83,I75 4· Kara Kara Shire ...... 2 3 21 ... I 9,I ss 5· Loddon United ...... 2 4 7 3I 20 I 26 36,947 6. Lowan Shire ...... I2 40 I9 ... 25,640 7. Shepparton ...... I 7 24 37 9 0 22,1 8g 8. St. Arnaud ...... ISO 5 ... 24,743 9· Htawell ...... I ... IO ... I,9 I 5 I o. Swan Hill ...... 2 I6 g6 g8 23 67 35,55° I I. Wimmera United ...... I4 I6 128 ~ g88 0 I )8,996 u. Yarrawonga Shire ...... 6 2 "6o 0 I 7,898 ------" These include both main and hraneb channels. .. 0':> 1!.0 Ill.-"~ A.TERWORKS CoNTROLI.ED nY llmiGATlm• AND WATER SuPPLY TRusT;;. (A)-URBAN Drvr,.;IONi:i. RETURN of the Waterworks in nertain Urban Divisions showing the Nau:t•:s of Trusto am! Towns Supplied, Positions and Storage Capacity of Reservoirs or Tanks, How Supplied, Length of Aqueducts, Mains, awl Hetieulations, and Tot11l Cost, to the goth ,Jnnn, 18go. ------~------.------ Heser>"oir or Souree of Supply. Length of-- Trust by whom Works Name of Town eupplied. How supplied. Cost. Remark~~ were carried out. nr Sr-rvlt:c Storage 1{(~;5(-'l'TU}J'. Capacity. Aqueduct. I'ipe ]fain. Bet.iculation Pipes. Gallon~. IH. eh~ m. eh. m. eh. Ba.cchus Marsh ... I Bacehus Marsh and Mad W erribee Ri vcr 120,000 Gravitation autl 4 8 0 rlingley pumping of Western Wimmera l Dimhoola Wimmera River 1,075,22) Pumping ... 6o of Western Wimmera I Natimuk Trust's Channel 350,000 Gravitation 0 64 5 Totals I,545, 22 5 4 8 o 64 65 III.-Waterworks Controlled by Irrigation and FVater Suppl,IJ Trusts. (B)-Rural Districts. Particulars are in Appendix No. 7. IV.-Waterworks -under Contml of Municipal Corporations.-See Appendix 12 (HI.) of the Third Annual Report. V.-Reservoirs on the Gold-fields constr-ucted by the Government.-See Appendix 12 (IV.) of the Third Annual Report. 70 APPENDIX No. 35. NOTES OF AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO MILDURA. By flfr. Stuart Murray, Cltir:f Engineer nf Water ,S'npplfl· . The progress of the Mildnra and Renmark inigarion ~olonies mu~t be a subject of ever prese n m~e~est to all who have at heart the future well-being of Australia. E;;peeially intct·esting i,; it to the 11Imstct' and Officcr8 of the Water Supply Department, who are charged with the admini~tratiou ol' the Irrigation and Water Conservation Acts in Victoria. The constructio;t of extensive awl eo'ltly workB for the conserv1ttion !tnd distribution of water· to the agricnlturist8 in the aritl distrid~, and the general introJuc tion o.f arlifieial watering as an aid to tillage, im:olve grave responsibilities. Upon the success of the~e expertmcnt" will depend, in great measure, the form settlement will assume in the great 1·iver valleys of southern and eastern Australia, and in the extenRive plains that bonier them. The profitable production of fruit and wine, and other higlt-priec THE WORK DO:!\E BY MESSHS. CllAl'I:'EY. The agreement between the Govemment antl the Messrs. Chaffey sets out that they arc to obtain the fee-simple of two blocks, each of 2!5,000 acres, by their expending thereon a sum of u0t less than £5 per acre ; and thnt the Government may concede to them a further area of 200,000 acrEos, by their expending a sum equal to £1 per acre, aud paying £1 per acre purchase-money. To date the company have expended 11t Mildum a sum of £183,000, as shown hy vouchers ;;nbmittod to the \Vater Supply Department, and they have obtained Crown grants for 13,200 ne reM, awl are now applying for further grant;; for 2,800, all forming part of the first of the two 25,000-acre block,; before rc>fetTed to. Of the laud granted to them, they have sold (exclnsh·e of the township of :Mildnra) 10,500 acres in agricnlt.nml atHI horticultnral lot~. Of the Fold area, G,500 acres have been eleured aml bronght nmler tillage, whereof G,OOO acres have hceu, Ot' arc in process of being, planted with viuc~ or frni t trees, aml 500 acres are ll!Hler forage or grain crops. The mo6 t, ex tem;ive plantations arc of raisin Yines, next to which come ornnges ami lemons. There are also considorable areas untler apricots aml p••achcs, figs, atHl some olive;;. As yet not more than 50 acres lmve hcon planted with wine grapes. The plantations are of eomse too young yet to lmYc yielded any returus of eommcreial value, but it. is anticipate(! that o.luring the forthcoming snmmer they will give 10 tons of nu:trketable raisins, and 4,000 or 5,000 gallons of wine, besides a quantity of green frnit that will be confHllltcd locally. The entire present popnl!ttion of the .Mildur:c settlement numbers, as nearly as couhl be ascertained, somewhat over :J,OOO person~, who may be (lescribed as follows:- Men employed hy the 1\Iessrs. Chnffcy 800 Contmetors allll their employ\·" ... lOO Residcn t ngricultuml settlers \)50 SbopkceperB anti business people Total ... 3,150 Of these about 7 50 are resident within the township; the remaining 2,400 are scatteretl throughout the rural district. THE POPUI,ATION differs considerably in character from tlmt to he found in any other country district in Victoria, its most striking feature being a new element that seems eYcrywherc prevalent. The large proportion of men whose appearance, language, manners, llllll even dress deuotc their origin as heing from the wealthier class of society, is indeed surprising. Ant! let it not be s11pposetl that these men evince any disiuclinntion for hard work. .Many of them were to be seen employed on their allot.rncn ts, and not a few in the day-labour gangs, content to eam from G~. Gd. to 8s. per day while their own trees were growing, and doing as hurd and as honest a tlay's work as any mwvy or farm labourer in the country. The settlers of this class are almost all young men. Some of them are Victorians, and a few from the adjoining colonies ; but many, probably the majority, have emigrated to Mildnra direct from Great Britain ; so that we have here represented many of tho well-known public schools and colleges of England allll Scotland. The Mildnra settlement has recently been created a shire under· the provisions of the Local Government Act; and the aununl mtenble value of the property within the .numicipality iR £30,000, a fact which, to those who have been connected with local government business, will convey more iuformn tion ( han a volnme or statistics. The PRINCIPAL RUII.DINGS in the township are of brick, several of two stories ; others are of wood or of galvanized iron. The archi tectural features, as well as the surroundings of the place, are much ;;uperior to those of the ordinary bush township, and arc quite equal to the better portions ~of provincial towns. Among the more important public buildings may be meutioned the Post and Telegraph Otlice, the Custom House, the Stntc School, the Assembly Ilall, the ~We;;leyan Church; and among private building:'! the offices of Chaffey and Co., Limited, the Coffee Palace (with accommodation for 40 gnest.s ), the store and residence of Messrs. \Yilliams and Co. in Deakin Avenue, .Messrs. Ncville's store, and the foundry ancl workshops of the company. In course of erection near the landing place arc extensiye joinery works for the manufacture of fmit cases, and cool litores for the sn.fe bestowal of fresh fruit and other perishable protlnc:ts awaiting transport. Tile WATRlt Sl:PPT.Y to the township i,; proYid13d l.y a powerfill ~t cnm-pmnping plant, crecte J'\ 0. 147 72 of the colony, and which are themselves supplietl from the 1\furray by pumps, the raising of tho water to the higher levels being in three separate lifts. The station for the first lift is at a point on the river known as Psyche Deml, about fh'e miles by road above the township, Here the water is to be thrown into the head of a lagoon, which, being separated from the river by a substantiai embankment, will form a convenient reservoir. The works at this station hnd made consiucrable progress prior to ]\fr. Deakin's form<:>r visit to MilJnra, fifteen months ~Lgo. Little has been done to them since, the floods of the past two winters having being suHicient to fill the lagoon without the aid of pumping, and the sites of the euginc be:ds and works being at the present moment snbmerged to such a depth that even coffer-damming would be a work ofsome difficulty. The lift from the summer level of the l\f nrmy to the top water level of the lagoon is 2-! feet ; but, although the water surface freqnently falls below summer level, and so remains for several months during some dry seasons, the act.nal lift, will rarely be 60 great, because the water surface in the lagoon will not, as a rule, be maintainor! at its full heigbt. In fact the pnmps at the next station arc designed to lift from as low as 15 feet above summer lcn·el-rhat is tl feet below the top water surface of the lagoon. The next, or No. 3 pumping station, is on the lagoon, anLl ahout two miles nearer to the township than Psyche Bend. The plant, which has jnst been completed, i3 n very powerful and perfect one. It ClHIHists of four 20-ineh centrifugal pumps, driven by a triple-expansion four-cyliwlereLl engine, of l,OLJJ indicate llwr.:;e power, aml supplied with steam by two p~tirs of nmltitubnlar steel boilers, e:wh 3ft. Gin. by 14 feet. The housing is of brick-work, both sub stantial and omamontal, fini~lwcl intorn::tlly a'lll externally in a styb not geaernlly seen in eug:ne-honses; and the boiler hou~e has room for another pair of mti!titulmlnr boih)l'~, which will make, with those in position, six in all. Tlte ri~ing main that tlelivers the water from the lngoon into the 50 feet channel, that is the channel whose water surface is 50 feet rLboyc the snmmcr level of the riYer, is 18 inches diameter, of wrought riveted boiler plate. This phtnt having j m;t been finished, and not yet at work, the service is being performed temporarily by n 20-ineh eentrifugal pump driven by a Taugyc engine. The next pumping station is at a pl::Lee known as Niehol's Point, about a mile above the township; and here the water is raised ft·om the 50 feet into the 70 feet and 85 feet channels, the latter being probably the highest level main that will be eonstrnctell on the settlement. 'l'he pumping machinery at this station has been completed some time, and the party had an opportunity of see;ng it at work. It consists of two 20-inch Alien's centrifugal pumps, uriven by a triple-cxpan3ion engine of 450 indicated horse power, supplied with steam from a pair of mnltitnbnlar ste:1m boilers of the snme pattern as those at the station on the lagoon. These boilers are C;lpable of working np to a pressnre of 160 lbs. of steam. Tire whole of the plant is housed in substantial and elegant brick bulltl ings; tile walls plas to red in si de and ornamenteLl with paintetl clatlos, and the ceilings lined with vnrnbhed pine. The llesigns of some of the machinery, notably ol' the four-cylindered engine at the ~o. 3 station, and the arrangeawnt of the whol8 ofthe plant, i::; !he work of Mr. George Chaffey. Several novel fmttttres have been introduced, which, it is chtimed, conducc to ceonomy of fuel and geueral efficiency. A8 t,o the workmanship and exeention generally, sutiice it to say that better was never tnrnetl out. Dasins lined with cement COlll)!'Cte, and fitted with cast-iron sluice-gates, are constructeJ on the ehannels at the inlets and outlets of the suction and delivery-pipes. The three Hues of nnin channel a.bove referreJ to, the 50 feet, the 70 feet, and the 80 feet level,, have already been constructed to a totalnggregate length of 70 milPs, nnd there are eonnected with them 140 miles of distributary clmnnelH. Extensions are heing pushed rapidly forward to provide for the service of the further areas of land tltat are heing constantly laid out and pre pared for settlement. The pumping plant at the three stations referred to, with the three lines of main elmnnel and their dependent system of distrilmtaries, will, when completed, provide for the irrigation of the whole of the lands of one 2.3,000-acre block. All the allotments at present under tillage are supplied from these ehannelH, the oxten;;ious keeping pace with the 111·ogress of settlement, excepting only the estate of Lord Hanfurley';;; party. This property is situated down the river, some miles below Mildnra township; and is supplied by a separate pumping plant, of one 8-ineh centrifugal, driven by a small steam engine. It has also a separate system of channels, which are lined thfonghont with cement concrete, to avoid waste of water by soakage, and fitted !Lt short intervals with iron ondets to the service ditches, closed by p~ugs that can be re'ldily removed and replaced by hand. The CLEARING AND JlltEAKING UP OF LA:- THE DI:'TltiBUTARY CHANNELS, however, are designed so as to be nble to carry a ''olmnc of 60 cubic feet of water per minute, for 24 hours once iu each month, for every 10 acres commanded hy them. If the chnnnels are kept constantly nmniug, with a full supply, this would he equivalent to :?J inch-acres per month for every H)-acre bloek, the ineh acre being a volume eqnal to a Tlll~ GRO'IYTJI OF Tl)Il3EU, both /(H •·limatic reasons, awl tn maintain n ~uppl,v of' fuel. It was :-uggested in that report that. a resPrvation for those pm·po~e~ of aJ.ont 011e a SANI'fATION. The water supply for t.he town is pumped from the river n t. a point immediately he low where the boats lie 1vhen delivering or tnking in em·go. During the two days that !;he E!lfn lay at the Mildnm lamling, there were two oUwm of considerable size a l>"n mom·etl there, whh 1heir crews on hoard, aud Loa ts arc at all times coming and goiug. This may not giro riEe 10 nn,v trouble while th1• ril·er is in flood, J,nt it. is likely soon to prove otherwise when it i~ lnllc, nnlu~s pmpPt' step,-< be taken. \Vhon ill{) town shnll have ,I THE QUA:XTITY OF WATER AYAILAilLE. The fear that ha8 been exprcs.- THE l'In;SE:i'f CONDITION OF THE RIVER, the ftooJ water in this length alone would he sufficient to put 14 inches of watet· over the whole Mildnra ~ettlement rather oftouer t!Hm once a fortnight, while a total ueptl. of 10 inches in an entire summer is the m·1ximum proposed to \,e used. The river has been in high flood for the past three or four months, and is like!y to remain pretty high for some months ycl. to c:>:nc. It wa~ also in a ;;till higher condition of flood dudug the whole of the winter of 1889. Reflection ou tii(Jse facts should convince the most sceptical that we are very far from having mortgaged the available water of the Murray. On the contrary, it should enable us to see that, to permit these vnst volumes of fertilizing fluid to pass on unused to the ocean, instead of tumiug them to account for the sustenance nud delectation of mau, is to commit a crime. Another refleetiou that forces itself upon one, when looking 11t the progress of the irrigation settlements on the Murray River and elsewhere in Victoria, is the opportunity he1·e offered to the uisinherited of fortune, and those who have been worsted in the strngglc to eslaulish a footiug for themselves, or have wearied of maintaining the fight, to commeuce life at're!'lh under new and promi•ing conditions. To mnke a start here does not demand any great amount of capital, especinlly if the settler be willing llllll able to labour with his own hands. He can buy lam! on eredit by the payment of a wry mod"rate deposit. He may also obtain employment at fair wage~, the bnluuee of which, after providing for his own maintenance, he 111ay invest in the clearing, cultivation, and planting of his lam!. Or if he has enough money to buy, prepare, aud plant his selection, and to keep him until his trees begin to bear a marketable crop, he may at once assume the position of an owner of the most vnlnable kind of propt>rty, without encumbrances. The party left Mil APPENDIX No. 36. DEPART.:\IENT AL PlJBLICATIONR. HEPoHTs 01• TilE BoYAL C(nr:m~smx oN \Y_u£R Rt'PPI"Y :Mr. Dcakin's Hcport-Irrigation in \Y cstcrn America 1885 .:\1r. Derry's , , , 1885 General Reports ... 1S84-5-6 Mr. Deakin's Heport-Irrignlion in Egypt and Italy 1887 Detail Heport:< 1886 A voca Valley Storage 1S87 Report of Conference of lrrigationi> DEPART)!ENTAL REPORTt)- Storaogc and Regulation of Hiver Lodtlon 1887 River Gaugings ... 1889 First Annual Report 1887 :3econtl Annual Heport 1888 Third Annual Report 1889 Colihan Svstem ... 1887 Kow Swai'np Stnrage 18S8 Report;; on the Scheme of the proposed Shire of \Vimmera Irrigation and Water Supply Trust, 1887 , , , Cohuna , , 1887 , , , Eclmea , , 188 7 , , , Pine Hills , , 1888 , , , North Boort , , 1888 , , , Marquis Hill , , 1888 , , , Bncklcy Swamp , , 1888 , , , Emu V alley , , 1888 , , , W andclla , , 18 88 , , , Lake Charm , , 1888 , , , Yurrawonga Shire , , 1888 , , , Racchus :Marsh , , 1888 , , , Lenlerdcrg , , 1889 , , , East Goulbnrn , , 1889 , , , Uotlnev , , 1889 , , , Turrm.nbeiTy North , , 1889 , , , Carrum , , 1890 , , , Echue!L ami W aranga , , 1890 , , , :Myall , , 1890 , , , Eastern vVimmera , , 1890 , , , ilclillcwa , , 1890 , , , Bairnsdalc , , 1890 , , , ilciincha , , 1890 , , , Campaspe (Roehester) , , 1890 , , , H arcourt , , 1890 , , , Kerang East , , 1890 By Authority: Roller, S. DnAIN, Government Printer, Melbourne. l street tre:; in northern towns. The other tree is the native palm of California, which i~ grown everyw•here in Southern California with very pleasing effect. Its botanical name is \Vashingtonia Filifera. There are, I lutve no doubt, m·my specimens in the public gardens around Melbourne, but it ought to be largely grown in the northern districts, where it would do well. I have sent cultural directions for these seeds to Mr . .Martiu. I found not only at Fresno, hut at all of the irrigation settlements I have yet visited, that uot, the lmtst gain to the Slate are the elevating tendencies of the work the people are engaged in. This is slwwn in a very striking way by the manner in which they beautify their home surroundings. It is hanl to realize in driving out amou;.rst the orchards and vineyards that you are on the gronnJ where tllC bread and butter of the comrnnnity is obtained, and not in the residence area of a wealthy city. EYery road on both sides is lined with ornamental trees, pepper trees, our Australian gums, and the native palm predominating. The houses and outbuildings nre of much prettier designf:l than 33 ours. They have a practice of painting the roofs of their dwellings with light and dark-brown paints, which contrast with the lighter colours on the walls, and give a very pretty eilecL lL is no wonder that life amitl such snrroundiu"'s is o.ttractiug the host brains of young California, aud that while their large citio~ are not growing with the "'phenomennJ growth. of oms, they arc ct:cutiug a taste for rur~ lif,c in t~1e yot~ngor men and women which, hy-and-hy, cannot fml to make for good m the t!cYelopment of thmr Hattmw.l lrfc. APPENDIX No. 3. FHUIT CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. (Second Progtess Report by lrlr. J. West to tlte Jlfinister of Water Suppl;v.) I have the honour to aclmowledge the receipt of your letter instructing me to look into the methods adopted to presen·e grapes fresh for long periods, and to stnte that I am making inquiries on thh; subject, the result of which I will report later 011. I have vbited a great number of districts in California since my arrival, and next week I inten1l to go eastward to Colorado and Utah . .FIU:I'l' AND Vl;";E INIJUSTUY IN CAUFOHNIA. The great magnitude which the cultivation of frnits and vines has assumed in this state i~ smprt~m:2,', and a few facts in regard to this may not prove uuintercstiug to Victorian growers. From tlatn antilahle, it would appear that there arc no less tha11 150,000 acres under vines, and consideralJ!y over 100,000 acres under fruit tl'ees. This enormous acreage has lifted these industries into the position of ranking "·ith the chief staples of the state. The large production has lOt! to much lower prices being received by the growon; than used to prevail, and certainly mneh lower than we have been nscd to, ami yet the results appear much more satisfactory, both to the individmd ami to the great body of the producers, than in the old day~ when higher prices rule J. With the one 8inglo exception of wine, the growers appear to bn well Hatisfied with their profits, and the best evidence of that is that the arcus of all tho chief commercial fruits are being largely increased. The depression in the wine iudu~try is not becanse of over-production, hut because of the inferior qunlity of the groat hulk of the wine prounced, and this inferiority is mainly owing to the poor varieties of vines which have boon largely cultintted. \Ye, in Australia, owe a debt of gratitnde to the old pioneers, who have given us such a magnificent collection of vines as we possess. No l:luch matcrinl was at hand here when extensive plnnting was begun. The varieties most extensively grown are those introduced by the mission fathers, when they setde!l in California while it was yet under l\iexiean rule. One exceedingly coarse dark P'rape, Zinfiwdel, is met with almost everywhere. There arc, howevcr, some very fine wines produced in the state, for \\'hich high prices are obtained. Of late years improved varieties of vines have been largely imported, and when these are well distributed an improvement in the bulk of the wino~ produced will, no doubt, take place. In 1888, the wine produced in California amounted to 17,00\),000 gallons. In the same year the rai8in output amounted to 20,000,000 lbs. In orchard products, besides the green fruit used for home consumption and shipped to eastem stntes, there were no less than 80,000,000 lbs. manufactured into canned fruits, and 12,000,000 lbs. into dried fruits, and in this condition they were shipped to all pnrts of the world. The fruit and vino industries give employment iu this way to a \'cry great number of people outsitlo those aotnally engaged in the work of cultivation. It iH when there is such a large and sure field for the employment of capital ami enterprise, as a largo production like that of California affords, that the compensating advantages for relatively low prices come to the grower. He has then no waste, no trouble in looking for a market, an(! no vexatious losseil in transport. All thi~ i~ taken off his hands hy the eager competition of fruit lmyors, for shipment, or for ca1ming or drying. I linu that in many of the orchardB I ha1·e visitetl, the crop had been bought while yet growing, nlJ(l c