Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1906-04-05

the division of the tracts into small
farms which must be actually settle(
upon and titled. -g@ 1872
This work the reclamation servic,
is qualified to do at this very mo
ment. While primarily an engineer
ing bureau it has, in all it's great ir
rigation projects, to deal directl,
with the farmer. 1t must outline :
comprehensive drainage system fo1
each irrigation project, since there il
as much danger from too much irri
cation as too little, and to do thi:
the service has it's own farm and sol
experts. Some of the irrigation pro
jects have distinctiyely drainage fea.
lures, in fact are almost as much
drainage as they are irrigation pro.
jects. In the Klamath project, 1876, 00(
acres, or more than half of the area
of the total project, is rich tule land
covered by eight or ten feet of wa
Tier, and is to be drained and convert
! ed into over 1000 farms. The topo-
graphic branch Of the geological
survey, of which the reclamation SER
vice is also branch, has already run
it's lines over many of the great
swamp areas of the eastern states
and as soon as the Stevenson bill be-
comes law the geological survey en-
gineers will be ready to launch out
into immediate activity in drainage
projects.
The fund provided by the bill
would be small as compared with the
irrigation fund it would approxi-
mate $500, 900 a year and would start
off with about 81, 000,0 900, the receipts
from the sales for the fiscal year 1905
being included-but on the other
hand the cost Of drainage would not
be SO great as that Of irrigation.
The Importance of this work of
wholesale drainage, in order to pro-
vide homes for increased population,
is scarcely second in Importance to
the irrigation work. 1t means that
tens Of millions Of acres of the most
fertile lands imaginable, which have
lain idle for ages, may be converted
from dismal and pestilential swamps
and useless boys into highly prosper
ous homes, to become the garden
spots Of the nation.
The Dutch have reclaimed vast |
areas in Holland from the encroach-
nents Of the ocean. Thousands of
families live and farm below sea
evel, gaining their security by mag
liticent feats of engineering and per-
istance. They now contemplate the
|rainage Of the Zuyder Ze,, reclaim
ng some 1850. 900 additional acres of
meadow land. American drainage
n most cases would be far more SIM
lie and less expensive: it is simply
question as to whether the nation
will see the wisdom of setting it's
land to this work.
In Florida the Everglades alone
lmost solid muck beds-would afford
n empire of some 1000, 900 acres:
n New Jersey and Virginia are vast
wamps, among them the famous
Dismal swamp. In Illinois which is
regarded as a we.l-settled-
gricultural state, there are 1900, 900
ores OF swamp land: in Michigan
here are nearly 5000. 600 acres. Fer
lie Iowa has about 1000, 900 acres of
wamp lands and huge swamp areas
ot yet surveyed. Arkansas mas ire
lendous swamp areas which could
e drained and made habitable. and
n all there is swamp area in the
astern half Of the United States
7hich is equal in extent to the great
gricultural states Of Indiana. illinois
nd Iowa, with three or four smaller
cateS thrown in.
If the Stevenson bill demonstrates
hat the government Can transform
Tamps into fertile farm land and
nat the settler or owner will pay
ack to the government the relative
: small cost of the improvement.
acre seems to be no reason why this
Ork of creation of value out of
orthless waste, should not go on in
and provide homes for mil