The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-08-12
For the anderson Emtclligencer.

ANDERSON, .. y. Aug. D, 1910.
MEssRs. EDITORS: Now that the minds
of farmers of the Three and Twenty
creek are more or less filled with the
drainage of that water source, let me
"a', 1heir attention to few plain facts.
I have heard some of their conversations
in regard to the drainage of the said
water source; some of them exceedingly
warm. Some are of the opinion that the
Commissioners ought to have the power
to ditch the creek with the assistance of
competent Civil Engineer, while others
are of the opinion that they can do the
work themselves remarks are to the
latter, of course. These gentlemen will,
1 hope, pardon me if I say that I doubt
seriously if they know what they con-
template doing. Before they start their
work of ditching, they will have to learn
the following simple but necessary facts ::
In ditching a large swamp, like the one
in question, they will have to find whence
the water they propose to remove comes.
There are four sources, viz: the direct
fall of rain upon it, the influx of water
from visible streams, which have no suffi-
cient outlet, and the downfall of rain and
snow water from the neighboring hills,
or the bursting up of springs from below.
After ascertaining this, the next step is
to find remedy for the evil. If it is
the third cause.-The downfall of rain
and snow water from the neighboring
hills-then there will have to be Cut-ot-
bitches used, which, in all probability,
will have to be cut around the entire
swamp, and made to enter the main
drain at the proper place.
Then comes the main drain, which will
have to be deep, and therefore wide and
sloping. There is also another very in
tcresting feature i'll the digging Of the
main drain. In lands like the Three
and Twenty, where the soil is made up
of mud or peat, THAT is for the depth of
from two to six feet,) partly the product
of vegetable growth and decay on the
spot and the lighter portions of the up
land soil, which have been washed down
by our heavy rains, particular attention
must be given to the fall of the main
drain, as lands like this (marsh and
swamp often subside or settle one or two
feet, or often more. The soil of roots,
decayed leaves and such like, almost
float, or at least expand like sponge,
and when it is compacted by removing
the water it occupies far less space.
Now, the main drain must be deep
enough to carry off the water after the
subsidence of the soil to its lowest point.
In all probability, if this is done, it will
relieve the lands or soil of the water
now upon every part Of it. But then
there is another cause, one of great mag
nitude. And here l might Us well say
that you will find the professional en-
ginecrs services required, for not one of
the gentlemen who propose to do the
work know surveyors level from a
theodolitc. The cause referred to is the
direct fall of water from rain clouds.
You cannot expect the cut-of-ditches
and main drain to do the work of other
and smaller drains. Remember that the
water from two to six inches cannot
pass directly down by percolation, be.
cause the subsoil is already saturated
with the water from other sources; and
to get rid of this new evil, which, if not
remedied, will put an end to our raising
wheat and corn, the individual farmer
will have to ditch as he would do in a
piece of bottom land too wet, but with
the main drain in perfect order.
And now, gentlemen, of the ditching
fraternity, you know what you have to
do before you will be able to make forty
bushels of corn to the acre of your
Three and Twenty bottoms. To say that
the soil is the most fertile and valuable
in the country is but to repeat the asslr-
ance of those who have successfully re-
claimed them. Although it may cost
YOU a great deal, yet it will be better to
have it done and done well than to have
it living there source of perpetual an
noyancc and danger to you and your
families. Should you fail in one of the
above mentioned particulars, your whole
work will have to be dane over; hence,
the necessity of al engineer.