Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-06-26
SALT MARSHES VALUABLE.


The salt and other marshes along the
Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries,
and along the Sinepuxent Bay, in
| Worcester county, are worth millions
of dollars. The Agricultural Depart.
ment places this value upon what
appears TO be now worthless land,
basing its estimate upon the availa-
bility of the marshes for irrigation.
| One-third of the money, it is stated,
spent on these marshes now spent on
some of the arid deserts of the Far
West, would produce far greater profit
able results.
| But years must come and years must
! 60 before the marshes of Maryland will
BIO assessed on the tax books for mil
lions of dollars. They must be re-
/ claimed. That will be expensive. They
must be dyked in most instances. That
will be expensive Still, tho Agricul-
tural Department, which is one OF tho
most progressive of the government de-
rartments, has taken for investigation
the reclamation of marshes. That is
/ something for the marshes
The department has sent experts to
Tho Northern marshes. Perhaps they
will come to Maryland later on. They
say that there is lying waste and I'M
claimed between New York City and
| Portland, Me-, land worth $40, 600, 000.
1t is salt marsh, covered in whole or
in part with water at high tide; but
the whole of it can be reclaimed and
lifted for cultivation at cost than less
than oEe-iifth of its value. And with
the draining and cultivation of this
great area OF property, now useless,
Will vanish the great pest Of the low
lying territory around it tho mosquito.
4 beginning in the work of draining
and retaining the salt marshes was
made few months ago on the Sound
shore of Long Island, between Sands
Point and Cold Spring Harbor. The
task is being undertaken by the wealthy
residents of the district, OF whom presi.
dent Roosevelt is one. Its completion
will not only give them new valuable
land, but will greatly enhance the value
of their own property and make life
on it pleasanter by banishing the
mosquitoes.
Everywhere in Europe salt marshes
are regarded as the most fertile OF
lands. In the East OF England the
Fens, to the extent of more than d
million acres, have been dyked and
ditcned and are now in state OF
matchle5s fertility, and large areas in
Holland, Denmark, Belgium and
Northern Germany have been cult
waited for many ysars. Here, close al
hand III New Jersey, there are at least
a million acres easily reclaimable and
now waste. Between this city and
Portland this report puts the total
reclaimable area OF salt marsh al
exceeding 300, 900 acres :"
But, says the report, "there is a
great advantage in the fact that all Of
1t is near the large centers of popula.
ton, where every acre will have high
value as market garden soil or fields
for the raising of hay. When brought
into their best state such areas will,
measured by the price put upon othei
lands in the same neighborhood, h ave
a value Of not less than 5000 an acre.
And the cost OF retaining is less than
one fifth Of this.
The Oyster Fay experiment is so fai
the first practical attempt on any
serious scale at retaining salt marshes
in this country. A few half hearted
trials have been made and abandoned
but, according to Mr.. Means, there ar,
we'll established methods of reclama
tion in Europe, and if these are usec
anywhere success is certain. There
has never been known case of failure
to effect complete reclamation when III
precautions We're taken, and it i.
generally conceded that one acre o
reclaimed salt marsh is worth four o.
live acres of upland.
The trouble hitherto has been, )
the report says, THAT the reclamation
of tidal lands to be successful at
minimum expense should be managec
by man of experience in such matters
Tho question Of how to build dykes
the cheapest and NEST efficient metboc
OF drainage to be employed, and til,
subsequent management of the soil &c
bring IT into a state of fertility a
the earliest possible moment are al
problems which require experience ant
Judgment if the worl. is to be sue
cess. Unfortunately in America there
are no trained agricultural engineers
nor is there an institution which
claims TO train expert agriculture
engineers. TIE best person, then, tx
plan and manage the reclamation is
civil engineer who has had experience,
in some related work. Men of OK
perience have u habit of charging vel
for their services, but the money spen
in fees to the right man is we'll in
vested. Dyking and ditching done b,
inexperienced or careless persons vii
require more in repairs each year thar
would have been necessary to insure
proper supervision in the first in
stance. "
There are many kind of marshes
along the Chesapeake Bay and il
tributaries, varying from mere mut
, flats without vegetation to marshes
with a heavy growth of grass and soc
a foot or moro thick. The method o
treating their prototypes in the Nortl
varies in detail, but IN principle is tn,
same. The first step is to exclude thu
, sea with "a dyke or embankment a
least two feet higher than the highes
tide, for salt water is harmful to ordi
nary farm crops and will prevent cult
walton.
. Tho second step is to drain the land
first with open bitches, later when th,
marsh has settled down, with tn,
culverts, leading to sluice outlet
Where the drainage is at u level lowe,
than the lowest tide, however, othel
t means than an ordinary sluice cat,
must be devised to get the water owe
! the dyke. In Europe windmilis mr.,
usually adopted. This rsport of til,
department. of Agriculture espresso,
, the opinion that here cheap pumps
driven by steam or gasoline engines
will be found the cheapest water liftint
= machinery, especially as they need mo-
be run all the time.
, Washing out the salt from the land
II the rain is left to do the work, will
require two or three years, but irriga
tion with fresh water will hasten the
Job. Tame grasses will then take The
place Of tho salt marsh grass, and Il
| the soil has beon merely tidal mud II
is rendy for cultivation at once with