Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-22

tiers brought before the last ses-
sion of the general assembly was
a resolution by DIR. l.. G. Hard
man. of jackson county. looking to the
| proper irrigation and drainage of Geor-
gia lands. DR.. Hardman has made a study
( or irrigation and drainage as applied to
the soil OF this state and he is convinced
that If the national government can be
induced to turn it's attention to this work
in Georgia, as it has done in the west
| II viii be worth millions of dollars to
our people. He has assurances from
| Prof. Elwood Meades, chief of the gov
/ eminent irrigation and drainage depart
ment that a government engineer can
easily be secunsd to look into this subject
and make preliminary surveys I'M Geor-
| gia. DR.. Hardman's resolution, introduce
! ed at the last session of the legislature.
calls on our senator's and representatives
I'm congress to secure for this state the
services of such an engineer.
IN addition TO this, DR.. Hardman, who
holds very progressive ideas about agri-
culture, and on the subject of good
building as well, Is the author of a bill
to have the elementary principles of agri-
| culture and civil government taught in
the public schools of the state; together
with a local bill requiring that the quail
/ iications and duties of the superin tendent
/ Of roads OF Jackson county be defined and
that he be required to stand an examina-
ton in civil engineering. drainage and
irrigation. and that he furnish the neces-
sary certificate TO that effect from the
professor Of civil engineering in the Uni
versity of Georgia.
DIR. Hardman's resolution looking to
governmental investigation into the mer-
1 it's of irrigation and drainage as applied
to Georgia is as follows:
/ Whereas, Water supply and drainage
| largely determine the fertility of our soil
and. whereas, the proper irrigation and
drainage of the state of Georgia would
/ add very materially to, the agricultural
interests of the state and the people in
general II proper irrigation and drainage
can be so used and handled as to pre-
vent the washing and erosion of the land,
| causing the valleys to MI with sand and
| filling up the streams with silt, therefore,
be it resolved by the house, the senate
concurring,
That, Our senators and representatives
in congress be, and are hereby respect
1 fully requested and urged to use their
| influence with the United States irriga-
| ton and drainage department and de-
partment of agriculture to have compe-
tent engineer to make a preliminary in
/ vestigation in this state TO determine
whether or not irrigation and drainage
| can be applied so as to prevent injury ana
/ damage to our lands and to assist the
people of the state of Georgia in the ag-
1 ricultural pursuits and to ascertain the
expense thereof.
! Resolved further. That our senators
| and representatives in congress be re-
quested to secure this action at the ex-
pense OF the national government ana
without expense to the state of Geor-
gia.
Resolved further, That the agricultural
4 aenartment of the state of Georgia Is
hereby requestedNto cooperate with ana
| furnish an information to said United
| States department or engineers without
mourning any expense to the state.
| Resolved further, That copy OF these
| resolutions be furnished to each OF our
| senators and members of congress.
| In this connection an article by l.. N
| Elliott. which appears in the December
| number of The Drainage Journal, is hlsn-
w interesting and shows tst what lrrl-
| cation and drainage is already doing for
| Georgia lands, as applied by Or. haro-
| man himself. Professor Elliott begins py
| showing that Georgia, within an extent
| Of area, nearly as great as that of New
| England has within her boundaries a
4 very great diversity OF soil,s climate ana
| nroductions 1t is said that no area OF
| similar extent in the United States shows
| greater and no state east of the ROCKY
1 mountains as great variety. He states
that OF the nine climatic belts in the Unit
| ed States there are represented in Geor-
| Ella eight: from the one with a mean an
nuaI temperature of less than 40 degrees.
| found on some OF the bald mountain peaks
| of northern Georgia, on whose SUBMITS,
! n is said. are found Arctic insects, to the
belt with a mean annual temperature OF
over 20 degrees which extends across
southern Georgia
Mr.. Elliott then shows that this diversi-
~ of climate and soils gives a wide range
i of productions, from the corn and small
Il grains of the north temperate zones to the
cotton. rice and sugarcane Of the semi
| tropics; with fruits varying from the
peach, apple and grape Of the colder Cline
to the oranges. pineaples and bananas
Of the far south, and all in no mean guam
tity. 1t is estimated that 1903 will see
| nearly 100000 peach trees in fruit, with
/ the apple crop a close second, while the
| cultivation of the grape is rapidly coming
| TO the front and is not confined to any
one section, but fourishing vineyards are
found in almost all parts of the state.
Coming more directly to the subject of
| drainage. Mr.. Elliott shows that the light,
sandy nature of all Georgia soils makes
them liable when under cultivation to
wash into gullies, which do much damage
to growing crops and to the land. Moth
ing, he SAYS attracts the attention OF the
/ northern farmer passing through Geor-
| gia more than the deep gullies.
He then notes the adoption of a sys-
TEN of terracing for the hillsides within
the past fifteen years, and the drainage
| of bottom lands by a. crude system OF
pine poles laid lengthwise In ditch.
Mr.. Elliott then proceeds to tell of DR..
Hardmans experience with tile drains.
and what he says is of great interest and
value to every land owner in Georgia. As
/ a physician, DIR. Hardman was first at
tracted to this system from a sanitary and
hygienic standpoint. becoming not only
convinced of its value as a preventive
Of malaria and kindred diseases, but rec
ognized in IT an important factor in the
future development of the agricultural
resources of the south. He soon saw that
the crude methods of drainage In use in
Georgia were both improbable and made
quate even for the low lands, while to at
tempt the drainage Of the basins in the
uplands by pole or box drains would be
still more unsatisfactory.
In the course Of time DR.. Hardman de-
cided to have more than 10000 feet of tile
drains laid on his Jackson and Madison
county farms by an expert who under
stood leveling for drains and their proper
construction; in addition to what had al
1 II