The Robesonian., 1910-09-22
DRAINAGE IN ROBSON

Its Possibilities-Would Add
125,OO0 Acres to the Arabic
Lands of the County. Double
the Producing Capacity of at
Least as Much More, Benefit
Roads and Improve Health
Conditions.
TO the Editor of The Robesonian:
Although the heat of political
battle is still upon us, and the
attention of the people largely
engrossed Herewith, might L
presume to put in a word about
the material good of the county,
something that will benefit US all,
directly, in health. in pocket and
general welfare?
| refer to drainage, and it's fu-
ture in Robson county. To no
part of the great State of North
Carolina does efficient drainage
mean more than it does to Robe
son. Here we have an extreme
ly fertile soil with a fat-surfaced
country covered with a veritable
network of streams, large and
small, with just about the right
fall for well-designed bitches to
give their maximum service, with
a minimum Of expense for up
keep on account of erosion,
which almost always follows the
swift current occasioned by too
much fall, filling the bitches and
making frequent cleaning neces-
sary. A proper outlet is re-
quisite of all drainage, and a
natural one ready made is an in
estimal lie advantage. Here we
have beth. Unlike the level
prarie country of Indiana and IL
linois, where such great strides
have been made in drainage,
where the ground is almost per-
fec,ly fiat for miles, with practi-
cally no small watercourses to aid
the farmer by providing natural
drainage and he has to dig ri:
fall, we have countless runs and
branches that naturally collect
the water towards the ditch dug
in that branch. This enables us
to drain our lands with shallower
bitches than would accomplish
the same results in a fatter coun
try.
In Robson county there exists
a perfect network of small
branches radiating from the larg
er swamps and creeks, and they
in their turn finding their outle
in Lumber river, excepting ths
few in the southwestern part O
the county that drains into Shoe
Heel creek. On the south of the
river there are the Ashpole creel
with it's radiating swamps al,
branches, and Jacob, Back an,
Wilkinson swamps. On the nortl
OF the river are the Bear, Raft
Great aud Little marshes, Tel
Mile and many more. in thes
there is an area of at least on,
quarter of amillion acres that viii
be directly benefited by cUttin,
large bitches or canals Sin thos
swamps, giving proper outlet TO
the farmers lateral bitches. An
at least one-half of this amour
or 125, 900 acres s-will be mad
arabic that is now absolutel
worthless for farming purposes
Thus it will be seen that canalin
the swamps will not only provid
efficient outlets for the sma
farm drains but will reclaim an
make valuable many acres noN
worthless.
But to dig these large ditche
or canals that act almost solel
as outlets is beyond the rescoul
ces of the individual farmer, no
should they be dug by him alon
for in all cases they are benefi
to many more, and the cost {
construction should be borne b.
all benefited, the same as roa
or any other public improvement
Cooperation is the only possibl
solution, and this has been mad
possible by the general law pas
ed by the Legislature of 100!
Uuder it's provisions, the Ian
owners are enabled to cooperat
in the drainage of their land
which is the only possible wa
these lands can ever be drained
Itmay not be generally know
but the land owners along Bac
swamp and Jacob swamp hay
already taken the necessary stel
to drain the territory tributar
to those swamps. | have mac