Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-09
RECLAIMENG SWAMP LANDS.
Thousands of Acres OfIlIinois Lands
Made Available for Farms.

Thousands of Acres OfIllinois Lands
Made Available for Farms.
NATION, ILL, July 2.-Ira o. Baker,
Professor of Civil Engineering at the
University of Illinois, who has Just re-
turned from tour of inspection with the
State Board of Agriculture, furnishes the
following summary of great drainage en-
terprises in Central Illinois:
The first district visited was the Mason
and Tazewell district. the largest in the
State, embracing 10000 acres in the two
counties mentioned. The district was or
ganized in 1882, and for three years steam
dredges have been at work night and day
| The dredges are similar to the machines
used in deepening harDors, and consist of
steam engine placed upon boat which
operates scoop or large dipper on the
| end OF a long arm. The work is now
almost completed at cost OF $500 600.
The money to carry on this work has been
raised by the sale of bonds, bearing per
| cent. interest. The bonds are lien upon
the land. The main ditch, 10 feet deep
and IS miles long, has a width ranging
| from 30 t. so feet, being as large and deep
as the Wabash and Erie canal. Into the
! main ditch flow several lateral drains.
| The reclaimed lands are now owned by
/ private parties, but were formerly the
| property of the counties, which had re-
ceived them as gifts from the State. Ma
son county spent 100000 in the vain
| attempt to reclaim them. But while the
bitches the county dug with spades and
| scrapers were Intellectual, the steam
| dredges have changed the aspect ofaffairs.
Already large tracts have been put under
cultivation that were never before sus-
ceptible TO it. At the present time pros
porous crops OF corn are growing where
water had formerly covered the ground
most OF the year.
The North Culver swamp in Mason
county is a striking example. The
swamp, five miles long and three wide,w was
impTegnable. Bullrushes and other rank
vegetation growing in water three feet
deep kept out the farmer. The land Is
now available to the banks of the ditch,
and the crop last year sold for enough to
pay for the entire expense of drainage.
Near Ashkum, lrOquOis county, new
district has just been organized. 1t ON
prIses -, 600 acres of land and thirty miles
of bitches, to be dug at an expense OF
$4,000, which will make the wet land
tillable. In but few places have there
ever been any attempts at cultivation.
Deserted farm houses tell the story OF the
failure of those who have made the trial.
Two dredge5 are now at work, and prop
erty-owners are firm in the belief that the
problem of reclamation is now easily
solved.
Near Piper City, Ford county, is the
Vermilion swamp. Here A., 900 acres are
involved. Sixteen miles of main ditch
and nine miles or laterals are being con-
structed atan outlay OF $4,000. The land
owners are much elated over the prospec-
tive results.
In the immediate vicinity OF Champaign
districts have been organized to drain
125, 600 acres. Heretofore the redemption
| OF thus land has been considered too eX-
pensIve to be available, even if practi-
cable. But now. having learned the cor
rect method OF thorough drainage, and
fully approaching its value, the work Of
redeeming the wet lands of the State may
be said to have only fairly begun.