The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-10-26

of this swamp area had suffr.a,.
walton SO that it was capah1a e'@-
ing drained. The culminarfor ne
investigation was the CALM ms
Drainage Convention. which We. =
at New Bern, \. c., Septembe~ -
10. These two days We're spent ~, [.'
cussing the drainage problem, 80
all points OF View, and the conv.r+.la,
finally adopted a resolution indo,,.gA
a Drainage Bill which it L,#a['s
would make possible thu dra.nr..'
thousands Of acres of swami
overflowed lands il North Car,rr,'
The convention also resolved :ts,Hs
into q permanent organization f..
known as the North Carolina Dr..
age Association.
The final result Of the conrsr+t,
and the formation Of the assarta+t,m
vas the passage of the North Cara'
lima Drainage Act by the Legfs.at,ra
of 1909. AS a result of the pas,aoo
Of this act eight drainage d.s,riers
have been formed or are in pro.ass
Of formation; tn largest Of whfoh -
the Mattamuskeet Drainage Distrin.
which contains approximately 1.o.o6a
acres.
The Drainage Division Of the Tr;taJ
States Department Of Agriculture has
taken a great deal of interest in the
drainage work Of North Carolina. and
has assisted very literally in the max
ing Of surveys Of the proposed drain
age districts and also by assisting t.
determine whether Or not the pro.
posed drainage proposition Was feast.
BILE.
These drainage propositions. which
undertake the drainage Of thousands
of acres of swamp land, are large I'M
o>%o X; oo or1 noyo no n0anYo.lgal n
only by the combined efforts of those
owning the land. The success of the
proposition depends upon the wise eX-
penditure of thousands and sometime.
hundreds of thousands Of dollars and.
for that reason, the North Carolina
Drainage Law contains provisions so
that no drainage under this law can
be undertaken until it has been def
nitely proved by surveys hat the
proposition is feasible, and that the
cost of the drainage is not greater
than the benefits that the land VIII
derive from it's drainage. As Vet, this
Drainage Law is not yet thoroughly
understood and many of the larger
farmers have an idea that they could
drain their own lands cheaper and
perhaps better than by becoming :
part Of a drainage district, while. on
the other hand, the small farmer who
owns but a few acres of land. has an
idea that he will be uniustly taxed II
he enters q drainage district. and nave
to bear a large proportion Of the cost
of the drainage. Both of these classe"
of men have a mi~scOnceiVed idea or
the Drainage Law, which Very care
fully safeguards the Interests OF the
small farmer as well as the large far
mer. 1t is absolutely impossible for
tho ia rp1ar owning 10 600 10 -. GOO
acres of land to drain this as salts
factorily by himself as by the torma-
ton of a drainage district.
In order to become more familiar
with the operations of the North Car
Dina Drainage Law there will be z
thorough discussion of this law at the
Second Annual Convention Of the
North Carolina Drainage Association
which will be held at New Bern. No
vember 10 and II. This discussion
will be open to all attending the
meeting SO that any one who desires
may ask questions regarding any por-
tons of the law, n will be given an
opportunity to express his opinion re-
garding any clause in the law. Rep
resentativeS from the various drainaG"
districts, either formed or in process
Of formation, will be in attendance
and state what their districts are plan
ming to do and benefits they expect
to derive by the drainage. ReprrSFH-
tatives will also be present from We
rious parts of the Piedmont section
of the State and will give informa-
ton regarding the reclamation ol
overlooked lands.
Washington. D. G., Oct. 23.-Eura-
carriers APPOINTED: Fuller's, route T.,