Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1899-06-10
CREATING FARM LAND
Thirty-Three Thousand Acres Re
covered in Indiana.
The Draining of IA Great Marsh by
an EDterprisir@ Agriculturist OF
Jasper COunty-A Great
Success.

Success.
The largest owner of swamp lands
under cultivation in the world is b
+. Clifford, Of Jasper county. Ind. in
which nearly all of this body of fertile
Aoil lies. Twenty years ago. where the
thousands of acres of Mr.. Gifford's ten
foot corn bends to the autumn winds.
there was naught but dreary stretches
of morass. In the driest seasons the
water stagnated on the surface of the
black and Shiny ooze. built up in stratas
Of decayed vegetation, year by year. In
the spring and fall this wide area of
marsh was not infrequently trans
formed into a series of lakes from three
10 ten feet deep. All this has been
changed by the thorough system OF
drainage adopted by Mr. Clifford, who
realized in the black muck limitless ca
pacity for the production of marvellous
crops of corn and vegetables.
The experiment of drainage was
doubtful one. It meant an immediate
outlay of fortune. with the POSSIBLE
ity that when the vast improvement
was completed IL would stand on the
debt side Of Mr. Gifrord's ledger at a
sum far in excess of what equally good
land might have been bought for in
more desirable localities. Mr.. Gift
ford took the chances. The success
which has crowned the venture has
indicated his Judgment.
He obtained from the state of In
diana deeds 10 $4,000 acres of this
swamp for Song. and then bought a
steam dredge and began operations.
For five years, save in the dead of win
ter, this dredge has been in operation
constantly, day and night, and it has
cut in that period IS miles of bitches.
These bitches weye the main lines. and
measured from 10 10 feet deep and
from IS to 90 feet wide at the top. Dis
charging into them were laid several
hundred miles of tile drains, all sizes.
criss-crossing the immense tract at such
distances as would serve to extract the
superhuous moisture from the marsh
The water is running from these tile
drains almost the year round, and there
/ is never a period when there is not a
good head of water in the main bitches
AS the dredge plowed its way through
the dismal expanse the reeking mud
was dumped along the sides of the
cutting and n hydraulic ram attached
to the dredge forced a powerful stream
of water on it and washed it far bach
| from the verge. so that in the storm
lest seasons it never drifted into the
channel and choked it up. The cropi
raised on the enormous tract afforded
sufficient traffic TO keep n small railroad
busy. and as Mr.. Clifford estimated hl
could with profit build his own line anC
haul his corn. stock. hay. vegetables
and other products to the Chicago
market, he surveyed line from thu
center Of the tract, and is now con
structing q freight line from the cen
ter OF his farm north to q point o
= junction with the Indiana, Illinois an,
Iowa line, which gives him direct con
nection with Chicago. The grade Of thi
road, the heavy work on which ha
J been completed, is along the principa
lines Of main bitches, and the earth eN
cavated in cutting the bitches is be
ing worked into fair roadbed at mod
crate cost.
There are $50 tenants on the farm
and every tenant has a comfortabl
five-room dwelling. These building
are all alike, and in themselves const
tute u colony of no mean proportions
Last year Mr.. Gifford's corn crop eN
ceeded 100000 bushels and beside
this. he has disposed of 100000 bushel
of onions, which. in the rich. bnc
vegetable mold, grow to unheard-c
sizes and in a profusion beyond one
most tropical fancy. His hay crop o
the wet prairies is enormous, and con
mands a price in the city markets onl
: inferior to that of prime timothy. Il
4 has hundreds of horses. which he
r raising for farm work and for the ma
e ket.-Chicago Tribune.