Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-23

rock and $500 per foot after that.
Mr.. E. P. Colleran, of Tomah,
quotes prices which are SIPS for
6 inch, SI.75 for s inch and s2.75
for 10 inch we'll and furnish every
thing.
The three 8 inch wells Of Mr..
Mills at Millsonia, which are u
feet deep and s. feet to rock, cost
him 5000 each.
The prices quoted by Mr.. Col
leran are not much above the
actual cost of the wells.
1t seems probable that an s inch
we'll with pump connected directly
to it would supply as much water
as two g inch wells separated by a
distance and worked by one pump.
If we itemize the cost and ex-
penses of a pumping plant with an
s inch well, exclusive of reservoir,
we shall have results about as
follows:
Eight inch well 100 feet deep, $1,000
Four horse power gasoline engine 10000
Centrifugal pump and fittings, 5000
Cost of plant, s625OO
Interest on plant at per cent, 1910
| Deterioration at 10 per cent, 1890
Fuel, oil and attendance for 20 acre-feet, 5000
Total. s748.75
Sucl a pumping outfit as this
could easily serve 10 acres of cram
berries or a similar area of other
fruits or of garden vegetables.
THE DESIRABILITY OF DEVELOPING
a LARGE NUMBER OF SMALL
MARSHES.
l am fully persuaded that the
best interests of the counties under
consideration will be served
through any effort which shall
make it possible to develop a very
large number of small marshes
which shall be the property of
those whose permanent homes are
upon the land. Let us suppose
that each quarter section of the
marsh lands in central Wisconsin
could be owned by intelligent
farmers and that each was able to
develop upon his farm only five
acres ofthoroughly good cranberry
marsh. | believe that the number
of such homes may easily exceed
1000 and these would represent in
the aggregate 10000 acres Of
berries. These small cranberry
marshes under the thorough cul-
ture which they could easily and
cheaply receive should yield not
less than 50 barrels per acre Of
salable berries on the average each
year, or total of 100000 barrels,
which if sold at $500 per barrel
would bring into the counties ST.
100000 and for each owner $3.50.
IS II PRACTICABLE FOR FARMERS TO
DEVELOP FIVE-ACRE MARSHES
ON THEIR HOMESTEADS?
| am we'll aware that the expense
of developing even SO small an
area as five acres of cranberry
marsh is really large if the neces-
sary labor is all hired at cash
price. But if the work is begun in
a small way and allowed to extend
over eight or ten years all of the
work may be done at odd times
and at a trifling cash outlay 1t
would of course be necessary to
have the we'll to begin with but by
starting with half an acre or an
acre the engine could be replaced
for number Of years by a wind
mill and cheap pump. Then with
one acre we'll started it would soon
be possible to procure the engine
and to use the vines from the initial
piece to plant the balance Of the
acres. While this work is going
on the balance of the land would
be brought under improvement for
general farming.
| do not wish to be understood
that the cranberry is the only crop
; for which an effort to utilize the
water of this region should be
made for it seems to me much
, more than probable that there are
large possibilities in the direction
! of certain lines Of market garden
ing if not also in the direction Of
: small fruit farming.
pEp;IGI ECAM CONVENTION