Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-21
FARM AND GARDEN.
RECLAIMrNG TULE LANDS.


Lying in the delta of the Sacramento
and San Joaquin rivers there are nine
teen low islands, the largest of which
contains 1900 acres and the smallest
1000, and the whole 2I7,400. River
swamps of this character are covered
by tall reed called ''tule, which gives
name to the land. Not only the Mis-
sissippi, but many of its affluents in
the South have low grounds which re-
quire draining to be truly valuable for
planting and farming purposes; and
large number of our readers may be
benefited by the experience and sue
cess of California enterprise in this di.
rection. Everywhere river and creek
bottoms receive more or less of the
cream of all uplands drained by the
streams that some times or periodically
overflow them. Industry and science
are able not only to utilize the whole
of this natural irrigation and fertiliza-
ton, but to extend indefinitely natures
beautiful system of agricultural i'm
provement.
The first work to be done
Is to prevent, by strong levees,
untimely and injurious foundations.
In doing this, experience has shown
the wisdom of constructing the en-
bankment far enough back from the
river for the growth of belt of trees
between the leyee and the stream.
This timber breaks the current and
force of moving water before it strikes
the embankment, while the mass of
heightened roots strengthens the made
earth. In California, trees are planted
for the purpose indicated. The ditch
or canal on the farm side of the en-
bankment, formed by constructing the
1evee, serves as a drain into which all
interior bitches empty, and tide-gates,
which are water-valves, permit water
to escape in an outward direction, but
not to flow in from tie river The tule
lands in the delta of the Sacramento
and San Joaquin rivers are too light
and open to bear team after they are
first drained; ard they contain suff-
Gent vegetable matter to burn to a
great depth, if dry. Burning is uni
formly practieed, and there is danger
of Burning the soil too deeply.
1t is IN the ashes of reeds thus form
ed that wheat is sown. without plow-
ing, and large crops obtained. At the
delta, the rise and fall of the tide is
about six feet; and of course it is at
the ebb tide the land is drained. The
levee is usually from six to eight feet
broad on top, with the inside sloping;
but, says Mr.. Nordhof, Il was told
that experience had shown that the
outside should be perpendicular. The
Levee Board Of a district appointed
the levee masters, whose duty it is to
look after the condition of the work;
and on the islands visited, gangs of
Cinnamon were engaged in repairing
and heightening the embankments.
The manner of covering seed wheat
on tule land reminds one of the prac-
tice of grain-grOwers who planted
wheat and rice in the mud of the Nile
in prehistoric times. Ages before
anyone formed an alphabet, letter or
character, to express anideaor thought
In writing, rude pictures were made on
stone in Egypt of one man sowing
wheat, and another driving hogs after
him to tread the seed into the mud and
cover it. This was before the inven-
ton Of pillow, harrow or hoe.
In California, when tule reeds and
their roots have been sufficiently bdrnt
out, and wheat sown, flock of 500
sheep, kept in place by shepherd and
few trained dogs, treads in sixteen
acres of seed in day, giving the sheep
time to feed sufficiently on the grass
that grows on the Ievees. Our author
ity tells us that land thus prepared,
without blowing, has actually yielded
from forty to sixty bushels of wheat
per acre" For the second years crop
the land is plowed. A two share gang
pillow is used with seat for the plow-
man. 1t is drawn by four horses,
which have to be shod with broad wood
en- shoes, usually made of ash plank,
nine by eleven inches, fastened to the
iron shoes of the horse by screws. The
liberal dressing of ashes prevents the
land from becoming sour, and wheat
does we'll in that wheat climate. MIR.
Bigelow, New Hampshire man, has
been farming ten years on tule land,
and on his plantation Mr.. Nordhoff
saw 800 acres of wheat in one field as
..fine as wheat could be-
LEARNED FARMING.