Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-16
Small Congressional Appropriations.


Last Congress small appropriation of
$4,000 was made for a comprehensive sur
vey of these lands, and the work was
turned over to Mr.. Wilson's division of the
survey. 1t is now being carried on in the
field, and the results SO far indicate that
it will be possible to institute a COM
prehenSive system of drainage that will
clear all these lands and make them among
the finest farm lands of the country. The
cost will not add more than S1.25 or $50 to
the present price of the land. 1t will be
possible to do the work on Just the plan
that the reclamation work is now being
carried on, selling the improved land at
the advanced price and using the money
to improve the next section. 1t is work
that can be done only by the government,
just as the great irrigation projects are be-
ing carried out, and it will cost no more, for
1t can be made to pay for itself as the
work goes on.
There are immense tracts of swamp land
in the Atlantic coast states down to the
everglades of Florida and through Missis-
slppi, Louisiana and Arkansas. What can
be done with these lands when once they
are properly drained is shown by the phe-
nomenal value reached by the farms in
what was the swamp land of the Sacra-
mento valley.
The cost of the reclamation work Is not
so heavy per acre as in irrigation, for it
is simpler and requires no great dams and
reservoirs: The most of it is through soft
steam shovel cutting, allowing bigger
bitches and less expensive methods.
Millions Of Acres Of Swamp.
All Of the 10000. coo acres Of swamp lands
in the country cannot, Of course be re-
claimed by drainage. Unfortunately, many
years ago Congress enacted legislation pat
enting these lands to the states, provided
they were drained and reclaimed by the
states. Except in the few cases mentioned
above, this has not been done. When nee
essary, arrangements can doubtless be
made with several states as has been done
in the matter of irrigation, for carrying
on the necessary drainage work under
federal auspices.
Evidence of the extent to which drain
age has already been undertaken in a
small way by Individual farmers IS af-
forded by comparison Of the preliminary
editions OF topographic maps made by the
geological survey of areas in Wisconsin
with t Q final topographic sheets of the
same areas. The final sheet Of the Kosh-
konong quadrangle for example made in
1903. shows great diminution in the orig
inal area Of swamp land, as represented in
the reconnaissance survey Of 1887. An ex-
animation of the two maps indicates clear
ly, in the light Of what has since &C.
CURED. how study Of the earlier sheets
would have suggested possible lines of
recorded on the map would have indica ted
to an engineer the probable results of con-
structing drainage bitches In certain places,
The new sheet of the Madison, Wis, quad
rangle, Just issued, shows not only what
has been done by private enterprise, during
the past fifteen years. in the way of drain
ing swamps, but indicates what may be
done to drain other thousands Of acres Of
swamp land.
Now that the public has become inter-
ested in the federal drainage of swamp
lands, 1t is to be hoped that those in au-
thority may see the value Of the topo-
in swampy regions where the drainage
problem is to be solved.