The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-09-29
MARVELLOUS CHANGE
At PRAIRIE FARM.
WILD MARSH LAND CONVERTED
INTO EXCELLENT FARM LAND.
COMPLETE SYSTEM OF DYKIMG
Fifty-Two Miles of Dredged bitches
and Canals Augment Drainage Plan
Close View Of Affairs.
From the Saginaw Evening News.

reclaimed by the magic wand of care
fully planned and skillfully executed
workmanship and tract of farmland
which ranks well among the best in the
state has supplanted an almost worth
less and hopeless acreage. Such in
brief may be given the results of few
years labor on the Prairie Farm, one of
the best known sections in this county.
"The Farm" is we'll known by name to
almost everyone in the community, but
only very small percentage has ever
visited it or seen the marvellous work
that has there been done. Without a
question the system of dyking in vogue
has been fully demonstrated to be a
success and the results that are now
being achieved may be great incen-
tive to owners of other lands now sub
merged to attempt improvement by
similar means.
To one who has not seen or is I'M
familiar with the work of dyking or re-
claiming wild marshy swamps the
Prairie Farm is a most interesting spot
For many years tractless waste of ten
thousand acres, submerged each spring
during the annual floods to such an ex-
tent that the land was untillable at any
time, it was for years of little account
being heavy drain on the Golfers of it's
owners and with little hopeful in the
results. Today quite different aspect
is presented, and the Little Neither
lands" as the community might fitting
ly be called, is an example of mans in
genuity in surrounding natural OBJ
stacles. Around large portion of the
farm is 14foot dyke, fact which
gives some little indication of the con-
ditions that must have existed few
years since.
The first impression gained of this
land at present must of necessity refer
to the crops, of which there is a wide
expanse. In all fields the same con-
dition may be noted and that it is the
absolute lack of weeds and foreign ma
terial. For instance, there is a crop of
sugar beets mile long and half mile
wide that attracts attention immediate
ly after passing over the outer draw
bridge. Not even most careful scruti-
ny will bring to view weed or blade
of grass in this crop. And the same is
true of all others, fact which is due to
the cultivation which cleans the fields
and also increases as a natural result
the crop values.
AS an evidence of the character of
the soil it need only be mentioned that
this years crops include as well as sugar
beets, thirty acres of rape, biennial
crop, grown for Detroit seed house, a
large field of horseradish for the United
States Horse Radish company of this
city, buckwheat in hundreds of acres,
corn, rye and other cereals. Every
crop is in excellent condition and
already the harvest has been marketed.
The work on the dykes is paramount
with the cultivation of the crops and
enjoys most careful attention. By
January 1, if no unforeseen mishap oc-
ours five thousand acres will have been
fully closed in. Already the work has
been almost completed everywhere, but
in the extreme north and northwestern
portion where the Flint flows. The
finished dykes are from eighty to one
hundred feet in width and ten to four
teen feet high, this latter level being
dependent upon the ground. AS an
adjunct to the dykes complete system
of drainage is installed and already
fifty-two miles of dredged canals and
bitches have been provided to take care
of the water. A sufficient number of
pumps is being installed for the purpose
of keeping the land in perfect condition,
the capacity of each pump being 10000
gallons per minute
The farm is indeed little village, its
regular rows of houses (all painted alike)
on the various streets with the stores
and large buildings presenting exactly
a suburban town. In fact the picture
is much better than is often to be found
for on the grounds may be found a
railroad, the Grand Trunk entering, a
school building with accommodationsfor
one hundred children, clubhouse for
the employees, store and postoffice,
bath house, two dormitories, each of a
capacity of $50 persons, sixty houses, lat
present 81 families reside there), cattle
barns for 500 head, hog pens with full
sanitary measures provided, tool houses,
storage barns, granaries, machine shop,
complete water works and much in
addition. Attention is given to the
question of good roads and system
already planned is being gradually
worked out. The harvesting Is done
with the aid of portable railroad,
steel pump cars, and loading trestle,
and the operation of this plant is a
great economizer as well as time saver.
1t will readily be understood that the