Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-06-04
The Possibility of Many small Cram
-. berry Marshes in Central
80 Wisconsin,.
TProf. F. H. King.1

January meeting the writer took
| occasion to urge the importance of a
study which should make known the
| possible water supply in Adams,
| Portage, jackson, Monroe and Juneau
| counties with view to its possible
| utilization In the development of small
cranberry marshes as an adjunct to
general farming. ..E-.=
Since reading this paper the Agricul-
tural Experiment Station has taken its
| S-hOrse power engine and pump to the
| farm of Mr.. Edmund Hart near Valley
Junction and has determined the
capacity of one of three wells drilled
there for the purpose Of irrigating
cranberry lands; and it is due to the
management of the G. NJ. & st. P. Ry.
| Co. to say that for lack of funds IT
would have been impossible for the
Station to have made the test had that
| Co. not furnished free transportation
for our engine and pump both to and
from Valley Junction.
| The we'll tested was about IS feet
| deep drilled 80 feet into the rock, and
was cased up, above the rock with
inch iron tubing. The pump used was
a No. centrifugal, having q feet in.
of inch suction pipe lowered into the
| well directly from the pump working
over the well. .--
Under these conditions the we'll
Welded water at the rate of something
| more than 100000 gallons per 24 hours
and it is quite certain that this well can
| be made to yield at least double this
amount of water by simply making it
open 20 feet to the rock and lowering
| the pump to the bottom with 20 feet of
suction pipe extending into the rock
below. There is every reason to be-
lieve too that each of the other two
wells at Mr.. Harris marsh might be
made to yield similar amount daily
were that desirable.
WHAT THE WELLS HAVE DONE.
The three wells referred to are
located adjacent 10 about Is acres of
cranberry marsh which is so surround
ed by dykes that water pumped upon
| it can be retained. Over these wells
had been erected three y foot wind
mills each workings s inch single-acting
plunger pump making a 9-inch stroke.
These mills we're set at work Nov. 25
last and two Of them had worked their
pumps continuously when the wind
would permit until April 16, when the
test of the we'll was made. The third
mill was disabled on account of sand
getting into the well.
When the pumps were started stand
ing water in the marsh was to feet
below the surface but on April 10Th the
Water-level had been raised by two
mills to the level of the surface Of the
ground on about Is acres and the water
stood at that time in the bitches inside
of the dyke II inches above the level
of the water in the bitches just outside
of the dyke while the water in the
marsh 100 feet away was more than
three feet below the surface showing
that the water was not spreading
laterally very rapidly and being lost or
injuring adjacent lands for general
farming.
On May 5th the dyke gates were
opened and the level Of the water on
the irrigated marsh lowered about one
foot, the gates remaining open until
May 18th, 6 or 7 days.
On May 23rd the water had again
been brought back by the two mills to
nearly its height on the 18Th of April
and stood in the bitches inside of the
dykes II inches above the level of the
water in The marsh outside while most
of the vines on the marsh stood in from
to inches Of water.
Now since these results have been
obtained on Is acres of ground during
verv dry winter when the ground
water in December was 5-6 feet below
the surface and only two wind mills to
do the pumping, they seem 20 the
writer to demonstrate beyond question
the possibility of easily maintaining
and thoroughly protecting against frosts,
insects and winter killing a very large
number of small cranberry marshes
widely scattered over the counties in
question.
/ On May 24th the writer rode 10y rail
from Valley Junction to Grand Rapids
and then through the kindness of Mr.
&. 2. Arpin was taken to the marshes
to study the water conditions to the
east of Babcock. The observations
made showed that the less than inches
and May have been quite sufficient to
bring the level of the ground-water on
all of the low lands back very close to
and in many places even above the
surface. Several of the cranberry
marshes were SO we'll flooded that some
anxiety was being manifested about
getting the water off the vines soon
enough for them to do their best. -.
1t should be said and emphasized
that the conditions now existing on the
large marsh districts of central Wiscon-
sin demonstrate very clearly that the
best development of these lands can
only be brought about through COM
bined system of drainage and irrigation
which is cooperative in character.
The step which the ATpin's have
taken in leading out canal from Hem
lock Creek and which they have done
against great obstacles is certainly a
move in the tight direction, but the
move should become cooperative and
the water passed on and held in
reservoirs instead Of wasted as it must
now be after having been only once
used.
1t was very evident to the writer too
at the time of this visit that a very
large percentage of the storm waters
which were then standing upon or
remaining near the surface might with
a proper system of drainage bitches, be
| quickly gathered together and passed
downward into lower reservoirs to the
great profit of the land drained and to
| the advantage of the lands adjacent to
| the reservoirs which might later use
| that water as it was needed
| The people who have the interests of
central Wisconsin at heart should be
seriously considering some cooperative
| line Of movement toward the perma-
nent Improvement of their large tracts
of marsh and Semi-marSh lands.