IRRIGATION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume X, Issue 2307, 16 February 1891, Page 2

IRRIGATION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I am pleased to see Mr Allan still writing on the subject of irrigation. He seems to be ojjposecl, ,to, it. A good honest opposition i. helps to bring many things to light that might not otherwise be known, or be known too late; besides, it shows that a man has spirit enough to stand up'against what he believes to be wrong. Mr Ajlan has«,not, to myipeeming, £iv»en us anything very feaWgible m proof of his assertion that stock will not eat irrigated grass, jl am conscious that my stock will and do eat irrigated grass, and if Mr Allan's do not, then al|'l.can say is that he must have abundance ?of feed that has not been helped to grow by irrigation. '. . . l/: . Mr Allan says the cry for irrigation comes from the farmers south of the Ash,. burton .river. I quite ftgree with him that farmers south of the Ashburton river are crying out for irrigation ; but if lie reads his paper he will find that there are some north 1 of the AshburtOn have a liking for it too, and have had to pay for i% as well. Jn Ashburton la,st Saturday a gentleman told m.c that m consequence of a webd getting into his race it overflowed, and his sheep soon found out that irrigated grass was good ; and that gentleman is not from the South but tho North, I heard a most respectable man say that he had a lot of sheep with no feed left. He would have had to suffer a groat loss through the fall m the market if an accident had not happened by which his raoe got blocked, and before the> obstruction was discovered übout forty acres were under water. I don't think it A?ill be any very great trouble to Mr Oliver to r show Mr Alla]i how to make two jiOiuids of wool grow where only one grew before if we cau only get what will * make our gsass grow-—via.,: 'irrigation. .' I will ijbb take it; upon me tp say there is plenty of water, because I am nos engineer; but I believe Cioun,ty Engineer says therp, is plenty. Ift'any (jase, \et-us fyav.e what, there 'is,'and let us do as 1,3' doiie m. both North'and South Devon—keep the paddocks we can water for meadows j and that will very greatly httlptomake the ■wilderness blossom as the rose, as Mr Allan desires. T do not see where the great cost of irrigation is to come m. I^et ttvevjr farmer make his raoe isu'ge enough ;ifc his own Qxpcjiso. W-'the Councif do, the other p?rb and sond down a^l tl^Q watyr availably. Let the former^ y,sfr \\\ turn as much as thov voqwre, uo long <»8 enough is left m the race for man" and beast. Each man will then bo his own judge of whether it will pay or not. Mr Allan has said his side is willing to aid us m the matter of expense, and I think now is, fte time to ask the Council U\ s,\ &ta.rt, —X am, o{-a, s WhAUm Lakgdojt, Wesfccrfield.