Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1894-08-06
A NEW SWEDISH COLONY
The Suggestion Advanced By
an Educated Swede.
MARSHES INTO GARDENS
A wonderfully Rich Soil Whero Immense
Crops Can BE Raised-A wilderness
which It Is Intended to Make Blussom
The Lobdeli Tract TO BE Dyked.

would accrue TO Wilmington II the great
area OF iats which lie along the river and
creek frontage on either side OF it we're
reclaimed, " said . we'll known sud edu-
Gated Swede OF this city, to a JOURNAL
reporter during the course OF conver
sation. "There is no absolute need,
however, to fiji in this land. providing
the protecting banks or dykes ara made
high and strong enough to keep out the
water Holland, as you know, lies be-
low the leval of the sea fer quite a dis
taDce but so perfect Is It's system Of
dy kes that the nation rests secure In lts
basin-liks country My own country Is
to a considerable extent similarly stu
a.ed, while ia your own country now mine
by adoption, the levees along the Miss
issippi river guard hundreds Of acres Of
rich farming land, ard form barrier
walls for populous and prosperous
A Plan for Colonization.
"Now l have an idea which. il put In
operation, would prove good thing for
the city and the state. My idea is to
colonies the marshes with Swedes They
are an intelligent, thrifty industrious,
sober class Of people, aud under their
management that laad. now practically Of
no value, could be made TO blossom like
rose think 10 would not be al all
difficult 10 gather together a sufficient
number Of families in my native country
to take and work every acre Of marsh
laud in this vicinity These men are
accustomed to working just such land
IN their own country. and could estab-
lish truck gardens here which would
make them at least more than COM
Portable living.
Markets for Their Products.
"They would have rot only o market
in Wilmington, but the great markets
of Philadelphia, New York, Boston snd
the North and East would be open TO
them Their truck would be ready be
fore the e.gardensrs Of Long Island could
riper theirs There Is good show for
money making in the plan / suggest So
favorably did 10 strike me that I have
laid the matter before the Swedish I'm
migration Bureau in New Y York city, and
[ should not wonder at all if they would
investigate the matter If you remem-
Der, back ia the sixties, a large mum 5eI
Of Swedes were brought TO this country
and located in Delaware and Mary land,
| principally With farmers The great
ma iorit Of them did well, and through
them hundreds of their friends hav,
! come TO the United States"
Is the Plan Eeasibleg
With a view of ascertaining whether
the SEeoe's plan was feasible, the reporter
made a cureory examination Of the con
ditons which would prove factors in the
question
In the frst place he learned that there
[ are. in the immediate vicinity OF vii
mington, taking from Newport on thl
| Christiana ana Market street bridge OF
the Brandy ywine. TO the mouth OF the
former, aud then from Edge Moor to New
Castle, on the Delaware, over three thous
and acres OF marsh land. OF this grea
tract but little has ever been cultivated
and only portion is dyked Some nine
hundred aud forty-fve acres on the
north side of the Christisns has, however
been practically reclaimed, and ia nov
surrounded by q strong wall or dyke
thirteen feet seven inches high, me0sur
ing from mean low water forty feet a
tue base and twelve feet on top Thii
wall reaches from Edge Moor clear rouu'
to the mouth OF the Brandywine and al
hat stream to the wire mills, forming
en eifectual barrier ageinst anything bu
the severest storms
More walls to BE Built.
! On the south side Of the Christisna q
the Lobdell troct, containing some 200 O
500 acres This, it is the intention OF
the owners TO protect by dykes. aud
contract hss already been made with the
Atlas Dredging Company to build wall
| similar TO the one on the north side
from Bush's lumber yard on the Chris
tiana, 10 the line Of the tract fronting
the Delaware river Work will b.
started rs soon as the dredges, now q
work on the other wall, are TO be had
This marsh land is claimed to b
wonderfully productive, composed as It is
of rich loam IN which is q sutiicien
amount Of clay TO make it Of the righ
| strength. This is drained by sluice
and bitches Experienced farmers 50
Z that one acre OF this land will raise a
mach as any three acres Of upland in Oh
state.
Z A part Of this tract is fsrmed by
. man named Hayes He has SIX acre
In asparagus alone and has ready sal
? fot it in the Philadelphia market. Il
b pays $50 an acre rent for the Ian
occupied by him and says it pays hiJ
well. IJ has been proved that an acr
OF land in this tract will raise fro
, eighty 10 one hundred bushels Of car
1 or three tons OF timothy. Tlis SUNNI,
o the ownerof some .of tho land plant'
p six acres in oats He cut 10 before
5 was ripe for fodder, and got Gfte6
tors
T A wonderfully Rich Soil.
d on the south side OF the Christian
the soil is equally rich, and Mr. Villa
Lobdell is authority tor the siatemei
that one hundred bushels Of corn can b
aud has been raised to the acre. Wh'
" once dyked there lands would make ri,
p gardens, aud under the experienced
l. hands Of such men as IL is proposed
d form the colony Of, would prove valu
II be
D. The immoncs truck farms, which tho
3 who visited the Worlds Fair ot Chicsg
could not help noticing as they near
the windy city, the beautiful and pl
n dueiive fields through the Rock Riv
II aud Apple River valleys in Illinois, {
ID market gardens which are festure
d central New York the Mohawk val!
Or aud Ling Island, and. yet nearer hon
on the neck and League Island, ne
phfiedaInhfa All are on lands which We