Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1902-01-04
Recl.Imins of Marshes.

From the Farmers Review: The in
quiry of your Wisconsin correspond
ent, Fred Kruger, has brought up an
old-time subject to the farmers of
Iowa. Much land in this state was in
a similar condition to that described
twenty-five or thirty years ago. Much
of this land could have been purchased
at that time at a nominal price, its
utter valuelessness being due to a lack
of drainage. However, since that time
this land has been thoroughly drained
both by the use of large, open bitches,
and also by the free use of tile drains
1t is scarcely necessary to say that
where this has been done the marshes
have furnished our very best corn
lands. The reason, of course, for this
is quite apparent. The fertility has
been constantly washing down from
the higher lands during the centuries
past, the result being that large de-
posits of fertilizing elements are made
in these places. So long as they are
water soaked, of course they are al
most worthless, but as soon as the
water is removed the proper physical
condition of the soil is very soon
brought about, after which it is won
derfully productive. 1t is rather diff
f1cult question just to know what to
do with these soils the first few years
after they are drained. However, our
experience is that nothing is more sat
isfactory than a crop of flax For
this 1 would advise plowing in the fall
and thoroughly preparing the soil in
the spring before seeding. As the seed
of flax is small, / know of no crop that
responds more literally to thorough
preparation of the surface soil. That
is where many persons make their mis-
take. The tendency is on newly brok-
en- soil to give it about one stroke with
a harrow and put in your seed broad
cast. However, if the soil could be
thoroughly disceG down and the fax
seeded with drill much of this soil
will produce 20 to 25 bushels of fax
per acre. At present prices of fax this
makes a crop that is quite valuable
In many instances it is possible to get
at least two crops of fax, although it
sometimes occurs that the second crop.
is not quite so thrifty as the first one.
After cropping with fax in this man
ner most of these soils will in our
locality grow corn. However, rs the
section spoken of is somewhat north
of this, I think that millet would grow
very satisfactorily indeed. 1t is also
AoSSible to sow some of the spring
cereals and cut them as hay crops l
would advise cutting them as hay
crops for the reason that they are apt
to grow too rank, and scarcely ever
fill well on these rich soils. OF all the
c1overs, none will do quite SO well as
the Alsike, as this is adapted to lower,
wetter soils. In the course of few
years I think such soil will become
well adapted to the growth of red
clover and timothy, and, indeed, all
the cereals after the raging fertility
of the soil has been to some extent
checked. Let me again repeat that the
growth of these crops which l have
mentioned presupposes that these
marshes are thoroughly drained. The
cost of putting down tile drains to
depth of four feet may seem to be
large investment, and yet l know of
none that will pay a better dividend
providing intelligence is used in the
cultivation of the soil and the proper
rotation of crops during the succeed
ing years.-James Atkinson, Iowa
Agricultural College.