The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-20
FIGHTING SAND WITH GRASS.
Shifting coast Lines May BE Fixed
by Natural Means.
Pearson's Magazine.

PEARSON S Magazine. f.tt
When Mother Nature inf1icts an evil
upon us she nearly always lays her own
remedy alongside. Where singing net
ties grow, the COOL soothing healing
leaves of the dock plant are never far
AWAY 10 hght natures evils there are
no weapons like natures own remedies
Inc most remarkable instance is the case
OF those vast tracts of barren, shifting
SAND, which are found, as EVERYONE
SHOWS near seacoasts, particularly along
the coasts OF Northern and Western E,u-
rope, and which are found far inland
This fne-grained, dry sand RAPIDLY
spreads If left unchecked, converting
fertile ground into sand deserts
Nature has provided a wonderful RENE
dy. All along the north and west coasts
OF Europe and along the Atlantic coast
OF America, where there are also great
tracts of dry sand, there grows a certain
beach grass called MARIAN, or fnatWeed.
Years back dwellers by the seacoast
reaIlzed the vast Importance of preserv-
Ing and cuItlvatlng marramlike grasses
Inc people of Holland long ago invoked
the aid of MARIAN to assist them in their
ceaselesS fight to preserve their hard
won country from the entertainments Of
the cruel North sea. For 100 years a
nght has been carried on DIV the French
against the sand on the desoIate shores
of Gascony, which are now covered with
green vegetation and forests In William
Ill $ day our parliament passed an act
Tor the preservation of MARIAN and sea
lyme along the Scottish coast.
Owing to the wanton destruction of the
MARIAN that grew on a large stretch of
coast in Western Scotland some years
ago the place became as deSolate as
Sahara on account of the advance of the
sand from the shore, blown inland by
the sea breezes.
In this district of Scotland, as well as
IN other places in England. the sand has
been successfully combated by the plant
ing of grasses. The best example of the
fixing of shifting sands to be found in
N r,0rIa =
ried out on the Earl of Leicester's Nor
folk estates, where the Holkham sand
hills since 1850 have been scientifically
treated with lyme grass and MARIAN, and
by the planting of pine trees.
These sand hills extend for more than
three miles in length, and the pine trees
that now flourish on the once deSolate
shore present. grand though peculiar,
feature in the landscape. Considering
that they are growing on pure sea sand.
the pines, indeed, have flourished in the
most extra ordinary manner. some grow
ing as high as thirty or forty feet. with
fine foliage.
The method employed by the Earl of
Leicester is very simple and cheap. When
it is necessary to fix the moving sand, or
TO raise any part of the hills the place is
marked out, and a trench is dug about
a foot deep, parallel with the coast line.
The waste bruShwood from the trees and
underwood on the estate that has been
felled during the season is collected and
tied into large fagots, which are set up
on end in the trench as closely together
as possible, and fixed in place by the
sand
When the line is fairly long, extending
more than 100 yards, brackets. or wings,
of fagots are thrown out to the right
and left at right angles to the main line.
These extend four or five yards. and col
lect the sand blown by side winds.
In course of time, at the end of one
season, the line of fagots will be almost
covered by the sand which has been
driven against it. AS soon as this hap
pens. another line is set up. about two
yards to the landward side of the first.
with side wings. as before, if necessary.
This, in time, will be covered in the same
way. and then others will be erected un-
quired height In some cases. where
there is a large gap in the coast line
to be filed with sand, two or even three
lines of faggots win be set UP together,
parallel with the coast line.