New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-11-10
M.fRSH DRAINING.

The public is informed, by recent editorial u II,
EreniHg Post that company has been formed for the
purpose of draining 10000 or 1900 acres Of the
salt marshes near Newark, New jersey, and that II
proposed to adopt the invention of enthusiastic
gentleman who has conceived a device for shutting
out the tide-water "by means of dyke OF ca,;.rou
plates joined at their sides, and driven into the marsh
to the depth Of low-water mark, thus excluding the
flow of salt water, to allow of the cultivation Of
the lands thus inclosed" 1t is further stated that
contracts are already made for large quantity oIton
plates and for the labor of placing them, 80 az to IN
close these few thousand acres before next Spring.
We. very respectfully, don't believe a word OF it.
The draining Of salt marshes a very simple matter.
and very well understood, aud it is not likely that any
company capable of raising the capital necessary Tor
the above mentioned enterprise would be without the
means of learning few simple truths concernlngh;
that the material of which salt marshes are composed
forms of itself an excellent dyke for the exclusion OF
water that plates reaching only to the depth OF low
water woud be of no earthly use, because the water
in tho soil could find its level by passing below them.
quite rs easily as through the soil near the suffice;
that the water which would ooze through good dyke
of earth would be of little consequence compared
that this ingenious device is all moonshino and non.
sense.
We fully concur in The Posts estimate of the value
Of these lands and ready to cheer on any ntei-
gent attempt to reclaim them by the simple and mex
peusive means which are known to be sufficient tor
the purpose Properly drained they will become n
conspicuous for their great value they now are tor
their great worthlessness. They have been formed
BIZ the deposit Of the richer parts of the soil Of the
hills bordering on the Hackensaek and PasSaic Rivers
and of the ierilizing impurities and animaculs %
the waters Of NewYork Bay, and by the decay Of the
vegetation which has grown upon them for years
Within the recollection of men now living this tract
was mainly covered with pine forest, aud II is undcJ
laid at no great depth Gotten only five or six fee) with
4 solid clay soil.
Probably there is no considerable tract in any Occu
pied country more repete with all that is necessary
TO great and lasting fertility than the Newark
meadows. They ought to be to-day-certainly they
must soon become-the most productive agricultural
lands in America. Let it only be demonstrated as it
can be, that an expenditure of $500 per acre viii
reclaim any tract of 500 acres on these meadows aud
supply it with the necessary pumping apparatus and
that when so reclaimed il can be readily leased
to market gardeners for S75 per and the drainage
tax, aud We shall see capital engaged in reclaning
the whole
Certain well known precautions are Necessary 10 ba
taken The injury to the dykes from the buro~ing
OF muskrats-the greatest danger Of narrow esrthen
dykes--may be avoided by having water ditch on
only one side Of the embankment. The injurious e-
feet of the slight quantity Of salt in the water which
oozes through, may be confined to insignificant Limits
by having the ditch the inside Of the embankment
and but a few feet removed from it; if the waor il
kept low in the ditch there will never be found straos
of salt in the surface soil of the land side The tide
gates should be placed very near lowwater mark 80
a. 10 allow as much as possible of the water TO ran
out from the bitches at ebb tide, and the valves should
close perfectly so that there can be inflow from the
five or six fee, ofpreSsure at high water. The pump
ing apparatus should be ample and placed as to
keep the water in the main bitches at least four feet
below the surface, but it may be inexpensive, aud
cheapy worked
The reclaming Of all OF these lands would be trias
as compared with the Bedford Level, on the east
coast of England, where miles were often deeply sub
merged; and still insignificant when contrasted
with the Harlaem Lake in Holland where 40 009
of land lying Is feet below the ordinary level Of
the sea with which it was recently coyered) have
been brought into cultivation.
In Holland the dykes have a sectional area Of abOu:
200 square feet and the water has all 10 be pumped
day and night to a hight OF from II TO % feet. On
the Newark meadows the dykes would not require 10
have more than - feet sectional area while most OF
the water OF heavy rains would flow oA' at low tide.
and the pumps would be required only occasionally t.
remove the water OF under-dranage.