The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-11-20
Redeeming Salt Marshes

The redemption of salt marshes Is exciting
considerable attention these days, which has
heretofore, been very much neglected in
Maine.
The following extract is from the Geologi-
cal survey of the State OF New Jersey:
The marshes along the sea shore and tided
surface, nearly all of them being only waste,
unproductive, unsightly, and directly under
the eye of the public. These marshes, if re-
claimed, would be the most productive farm
LANDS IN the State, and is creating necessity
for their reclamation at an early day 1t is
remarkable that these marshes should have
remained so long unimproved when the sue
cess and value of such improvement are so
well understood.
Marshes in the vicinity of Salem were dked
and drained as early as 1700 and from that
time to the present have been continued and
proltably managed in that part of the State
The work has been done by private enterprise
The general size of the Salem banks is four
feet high above the level of the meadows,
eight feet wide at the bottom and three feet at
the top. Where there is danger from wind
and water conspring together at Firms Point,
on the Delaware, where there is a very expos
ed shore for two or three miles along the river,
the bank is ten feet high, twelve feet wide on
top, and thirty feet at the bottom. The mud
bank is also protected by a facing of stone on
the river side, which secures it from washing
by heavy waves and high tides. By this bank
1850 acres have been safely protected at an
unusually exposed point.
In Cumberland county the banks range
from three to seven feet high. The cost of
banking meadows varies greatly. The bank
ing OF Fishing Island, Lower PENIS Neck,
cost ten dollars an acre; another tract brought
IN cost fifteen dollars an acre. Generally the
cost OF repairs is from fifty cents to one dollar
per acre. Much of the expense is caused by
the depredations of the lnuskrat, and the
soldier crab or fiddler. The ravages of these
animals are met only at enormous expense
every year. Constant watching is re-
CURED to prevent their damages.
These meadows are composed of earthly or
vegetable matter all of which has the common
designation of mud. The fbrous or peaty
matter that constitutes the spongy part of the
marsh is nothing but network of grass
and sedge roots. The lowest of them grow
herdsgrass which is raised for seed The aver
age yield is about thirty bushels to the acre.
The meadows along the Maurice river are
formed suitable for the growth of timothy and
grain and root crops. Enormous crops of these
are grown fro n year to year without any ma.
nufe at Firms Point the yield of which is
from 80 to 40 bushels to the acre, potatoes $50
to 200 bushels.
The blue and gray mud soils are always
good for any. crop whatever. The value OF
some OF the banked meadows in eSalem being
worth S400 or $500 per acre, and others con-
siderably less. Before they were banked the
marshes were almost worthless. In Salem
county bordering on the Delaware, salt marsh
es are worth from 81 to S. per acre. The
great point is to get drainage; the tides can
be shut out no matter how high they RISE
The marsh between Elizabeth and Newark
varies from seven to sixteen feet deep. On
the Delaware river, between Esinboro and
Alloway Creek, the marsh is mostly peat and
varies from four to sixteen feet deep. In short
all meadows and salt marshes that can be
drained may be reclaimed with profit. Where
water is quite salt, as is the case near the
ocean or mouth of the bay, the marsh will
need two or three years to get freshed enough
to grow anything except salt grass. Time will
however, after banking, bring about such "a
change that herdsgrass, timothy and clover
may be raised.
would respectfully suggest to this board
that their influence could be usefully exerted
in procuring such legislation as would make
improvements effectually, and without being
burdensome: 1st-Sheet piling is sure pro-
lection against the Expectations of these ami
mails, as witnessed at the diking in Scarboro
and other places. 2d-The marshes in New
Jersey are much lower than in Maine-so low
that many of them produce only coarse flags
and rushes in their original state.