Daily Yellowstone journal., 1885-06-30
RscLAiMINo TIDE NSssHes
Their UtiIity tor Agricultural Purpose
The Sea- Marsh Soil OF Louisiana.


Their UtiIity tor Agricultural Purpose
The Sea- Marsh Soil OF louisiana
Chicago yribune
The department of agriculture al
Washington has just issued volume de
voted 10 the reclamation Of tide marshes
and their utility for agricultural pur
poses. II Is estimated by the department
that the area OF the country for such pur
poses could lie increased ut least 10000
square miles an area of territory as
large rs The state of ermont-by taking
not only lhn marshes on the ocean border
tut those farther inland, ringing bays,
sounds, aud rivers II also contains re.
ports from various parts Of the country
showing what has already been done "a
the way Of retaining these waste lands.
which were Of value only for their crops
Of sult hay.
The principal recamations are in New
lurSey along the Maurice river; ia Penn
sylvhnia on the Delaware where one
farmer has splendid farm of 1000
ncres safe from the highest tides, In
North tnrolina. south Carolina and
Gcorgia. where valuable lands have been
dikcd for rice. in Louisiana and Texas,
where they have been reclaimed for rice
Iutl SlltuI HtlIlt NhlNuit tull AuAllt llllElug,
aud Washington territory. where nearly
onc.half Of the ar formerly occupied by
The channels Of Puget sound, amounting
10 90 Iuare miles have been converted
into rich, arabic lands In California
also. at the mouths of the Sacramento and
San Joaquin rivers. where there are nearly
900. 0lO acres of fresh.wnter marshes,
20 300 have been reclaimed and are among
the most fertile lands in the whole state.
being devoted mostly TO Embarrassing
IN this connection The New Orleans
PiCayunc calls attention TO the recama.
tion carried ON by the Louisiana Land
Reclamation company. which has saved
1900 acres IN 'Terre Bonnie and st.
Mary's parishes The soil Of the sea
marsh in that region Is black mass of
decayed vegetable matter capable Of being
drained and Of growing any Of the prod.
ucts of'the state, while the subsoil is a
stiff. blue clay well adapted TO dixie build.
ing. Speaking of the conf any's opera.
lions Tho Picayune says:
The hand was broken by steam plows
plying between parallel canals aud oper
ated by The engines OF two steam
dredging machines floating In the canals
at opposite sides OF the fields Rice.
jute. vegetables. etc. have beeen cult
waited in this reclaimed land successfully.
The company claim larger yield Of rice
than the South Carolina lands give under
the most favorable circumstances. .Iute
grew six feet in five weeks on this new
land. In St Mary the company has also
operated with much success, and land is
reclaimed every year and put in cultivs
ton. No engineering difficulty is accom-
plished aud levees need be only two or
three feet high. The greatest danger is
from overflow from the Mississippi, Il
being very easy 10 protect the lands from
tidal overflow The new lands are too
rich in soda, potassa and ammonia TO pro
duces canes of high saccharine strength
for scvend years, but are excellent Tor
corn crops, and in eight ycars under cul
tlvation become good sugar lands The
cost Of reclamation Is IS per acre O.
Operations on still larger scale are be
ing prosecuted In Calcasiea, Cameron, mud
Nermilion parishes. wherea syndicate has
purchased ,000. TOO acres-of marsh lands
upon which IL is now engaged The Pie.
ayune says: The average cost II reclaim
ing these lands is found 10 be 80 pet
acre the marsh when reclaimed being
much richer than the adjacent uplands
with rich deep soil well suited 10 rice
or for pasture or meadow land "