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  FULL Keyline planning, as far as the development of farming and grazing land is concerned, is the logical use of all the methods of Keyline that have been discussed in this book.

  Keyline timber clearing cannot be applied on cleared land, but the design of Keyline clearing to "leave" timber as strips or belts can be applied in the growing of timber to aid soil development and for general usefulness. The growing of trees in suitable numbers cannot be attempted at once over all the farm area, but a tree belt can be grown in two or three years in a paddock that is conveniently closed for cropping. The immense satisfaction from a successfully grown timber strip in the first paddock would certainly induce the farmer to continue the programme into other paddocks when convenient.

  Water conservation in Keyline and High Contour dams obviously can only be employed on farms of suitable land formations. These farms embrace huge areas of the most important land from a national point of view. Not only are these steeper lands capable of tremendous and profitable improvement, but by their effect on all the lower lands in their common catchment area exert an influence over many more people than live on them.

  While Keyline dams and the High Contour dams of the Keyline plan are limited to properties with their own Keylines, the principle of locating some dams high on the farm is almost universally applicable and profitable. The design and the layout of farms should locate as many of the water-shedding areas and buildings as possible above these dams.

  This would ensure additional water storage. Many of the dams below the Keyline will provide water by gravity pressure to operate spray irrigation and stock watering systems.

  It is a principle of the Keyline plan that all land on the farm is made to absorb all--or nearly all--the rain that falls on it. Surplus rainfall runs off slowly along the natural flow lines of the land. Water is transferred for storage only and never to another valley for disposal. Rapid run-off and consequent erosion are fought or offset by the rapid development of fertile absorbent soils. In many places damages from present water runoff are accelerating. The Keyline plan first retards and then completely prevents the usual erosion of farming and grazing lands.

  Keyline progressive soil development or any other Keyline work, by being complete and fully effective in each area on which it is applied, whether on the small paddocks of a farm or on a large grazing area, requires no outside co-operation or co-ordination.

  It is completely effective as an isolated unit.

  The Keyline plan operating on farms in an area of regional planning is complete in itself. Every farmer, by improving his land, is doing the best that is possible for the region, but he is still an individual working for his own pleasure and profit.

  General land development is always vitally concerned with water. Whether the object is the conservation of water for the production of soil fertility and increased yields, or whether the aim is the control of water for flood prevention or irrigation schemes, the general subdivision of land into smaller areas and paddocks is best governed by natural watersheds.

  Keyline planning of a large area of land first aims to divide the area into smaller units or paddocks which are suitable for later economical development and farm working.

  A good contour map of the area is of great value in this planning. A map with contour lines at 20-foot vertical intervals is suitable for land containing slopes from gently to steeply undulating. Ten-foot contours are suitable for gently undulating areas and 5-foot for flatter slopes. On the flatter country contour intervals should be such that at least three contour lines are contained in the large paddock areas. With less than three contours such maps do not display a complete picture of the land for subdivision and development. Watershed areas both small and large can be located at a glance. Keylines and Common Keylines are readily found on the map; in fact, the geometry of the contour lines emphasises the Keylines. The steeper country appears to be narrower proportionately between the contour lines on the map than does the country of lesser slopes between its lines.

  These maps enable the planning lines to be located in the approximate position in which they will be used in Keyline development on the land itself. Keyline areas, Chapter 6, located from these maps, can be readily plotted on the land.

  Good farm contour maps as described are, however, rarely available now, but the importance of "planning the work then working the plan" in all matters relating to land development is such that the use of good farm contour maps should become general practice. It would be of tremendous benefit to the farmer if some service was available to produce farm maps quickly and cheaply. Parish maps are generally the only ones now available and these, increased to a larger scale, can serve as a basis for the mapping of the areas. Keylines as located on the property can be plotted on the parish map and so form a simple and effective farm map.

  The largest suitable land unit for planned development is that contained in the watershed of a river system. Within this large area of land are contained the numerous smaller watersheds of the creeks and streams which flow to this river. Again, within these smaller watersheds are the lesser watershed areas of all the valleys which flow into the smallest watercourses. These lesser valleys are the valleys of the Keylines with which we are directly concerned in Keyline development. Single valley Keylines and Common Keylines form the lesser subdivision of the Keyline areas (Chapter 6).

  When large land areas are cut up for sale they are usually subdivided along the lines of existing fences. As the likely fate of all large good land areas is subdivision into smaller farms, the initial subdivision into larger paddocks can be planned with a view to their later development into separate farms of a satisfactory living area. Watershed areas of the large paddock size may be suitable for this purpose. Good subdivision at this time will further enhance the value of the land when it has been developed.

  On undeveloped land, which is many times the size of the potential developed living area, one such large paddock can be fenced adequately and Keyline developed to a profitable farm or grazing property.

  Within this area the Keylines are first located. Development then follows the pattern of the various aspects of Keyline; timber strips are located; smaller paddocks are determined; buildings and yards, etc are located above the Keyline; irrigation areas are pegged below the effective water pressure level of the Keyline dams and High Contour dams.

  The general picture of Keyline planning in undulating country follows a distinctive pattern. The flatter top country above the Keylines contains all the buildings, yards and their roads, as well as the numerous smaller paddocks necessary for the running of all farms or grazing properties. Tree belts are left in this area as described in Chapter 8. Immediately below the Keyline are the large paddocks for grazing and cropping. The lower boundary of this area forms the top boundary of another area of smaller paddocks. These make use of the gravity pressure of the high dams for irrigation. Timber belts are left on the formula suggested for Keyline clearing.

  On this plan rapid Keyline development of this first area should pay for the progressive development of a large undeveloped area of land.

  The cost of Keyline land development will be lower than the present development of such areas, but the actual cost of clearing may be higher because of the additional cost of the necessary planning that must precede this clearing. Extra cost over the usual unplanned clearing may be involved by the necessary supervision.

  On land already fenced there is no need to alter the present paddock layout. As Keyline is generally complete and effective in itself in any area small or large on which it is applied, special fencing is not necessary. It may be necessary to dig under a fence in constructing a Keyline water drain to transport water to the Keyline or other dams.

  The Keylines, which are the basis of this land planning, have been illustrated throughout this book on simple contour maps. Keylines will usually have to be located without the aid of maps. When the Keylines of Map 4 are to be located on the land illustrated in this map, but without the aid of the map, the Keypoint is located in the first valley. This is done by walking down the steeper head of the valley to the approximate point of the first main flattening of the slope of the valley floor. This is the point at which the valley floor first becomes as flat or flatter than the adjacent ridges.

  This point, the Keypoint, is marked by a peg or stake in the centre of the valley. A line of levels, on the longest possible convenient sighting with the levelling instrument available, is then made to the boundary fence in one direction and through the valleys in the opposite direction. When the line of levels reaches the second valley it crosses this valley on the approximate Keyline of the second valley, and similarly, in the third valley.

  At the fourth valley it would be obvious that the line is well below the Keyline of this valley. In this fourth valley a new Keypoint is located and a new Keyline extended to the boundary.

  With this line of pegs as a guide, the location for all the Keyline dam sites is studied. If one dam only is to be constructed, the site in the first valley is selected. The reasons for this selection are given in Chapter 7.

  The working Keyline will then be a drain to carry water to this site. The slightly higher position of the Keyline in the second and third valleys, made necessary by the fall in the Keyline drain from these valleys to the first one, does not present any problem. It can be taken as a usual rule that the Keylines tend to fall in the direction of the general fall of the country.

  The actual position of the Keyline drain or other "marker" for the Keyline on the land can always be located or adjusted a little to suit overall circumstances.

  The Common Keyline of two valleys may be made to serve the purpose of a common Keyline of three valleys by a little adjustment in its location.

  While accurate levels are very necessary, the exact location of the Keyline is not necessary. It is the fact that the aggregate of all the cultivation runs parallel the Keyline and drift down and away from the valley that gives Keyline cultivation its powerful influence.

  Referring to the area above the Keyline, Map 4, it will be seen that this land may be developed very rapidly by Keyline absorption fertility to a state where greatly reduced run-off water is available to fill the Keyline dams below it. Full use of the run-off water from buildings, yards, road, etc., which would be suitably located here, will supply the water to fill the dams. The road alone will shed a large volume of water.

  The Keyline plan first develops fertility by maximum absorption in all pasture crop and forest land. This development starts in the steeper areas first. The other great aim of the Keyline plan is the conservation and profitable use of all water that flows to or on the farm. There is, however, no suggestion that large areas of land should be left undeveloped so as to provide a catchment area in order to shed water for conservation in dams. The use of this water to develop high yields on one portion of the farm at the expense of the larger undeveloped catchment area is completely unsound. This is not the way to either full progressive soil development or maximum yields and profit.

  Keyline and High Contour dams for water conservation are located in the best possible sites for the effective and low cost application of the conserved water. Gravity pressure for spray irrigation and other purposes is much cheaper than pumped water.

  The other dams mentioned in Chapter 7 are placed as indicated. The type of dam to suit the topography is obvious from the discussion in the earlier chapter. The overall aim is again the conservation of all the water that flows to and falls on the property.

  First, conserve all the rainfall that is possible into the soil for the benefit of all the land and for the production of high fertility. Second, conserve all water that flows from any and all high sources into the highest suitable sites in the Keyline--High Contour and Guideline dams. Third, provide for other and large storage capacity in lower sites in the contour dams of Keyline, the lower valley dam and the creek or stream dam.

  From the economic aspect and the working of a farm some water storage must be provided.

  The retention of more water in the soil by correct cultivation methods will provide extra profits. These should be used to pay for the capital cost of suitable dams for irrigation. This will provide further profits.

  An overall scheme of maximum water storage can be undertaken on limited finance when each new storage in its turn is used to promote soil improvement and more low cost high yields. Any expenditure incurred in the construction of such a scheme of progressive water storage, including the drains for conserving or conveying water, is deductable in arriving at the taxable income of a primary producer for income tax purposes. Taxation is in this way designed to assist those who will develop the country.