Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-01-17

state reoloe4st is hereby authorized to
employ two competent topographers and
four assistant topographers and two dri-
vers, as may be necessary to carry out
the purpose ref this chapter. L
r,As the general assembly failed to make
the necessary appropriation for the pay
ment of topographers, assistant topog-
faphers. etc. named in this amendment
no money was available to carry out
the provisions of the law, but, neverthe-
less, a limited anount~of work was done
in Calhoun and adjoining counties under
ID. Lee Wardroper, chief topographer,
with thes hope that the next legislature
would vote the necessary appropriation
10 continue the work.
The CEickasawatchie creek, with its
water basin, was selected by Mr.. Ward
roper as the base Of operations; and
period OF nearly three months was de-
voted to field work, 100 square miles Of
territory and PIG linear miles of ira
verse control lines having been survey
ed, comprising parts of Calhoun, Dough-
erty and Baker counties. Mr.. Wardroper
submitted short report, with an ex-
cellent topographic may of the section
surveyed, as the result of his short field
season, showing that the drainage of
the swamps is feasible, and that IL can
be accomplished within the limits Of rea-
sonable expense.
In addition to the drainage investiga-
tions above referred to, the federal gov
eminent, under the direction of the Of
flee of experiment stations, United States
department of agriculture, has done con-
siderable preliminary work in south
Georgia investigating the swamp and
overflow lands These preliminary sur
veys. all Of which have been made in
the last two years, cover all, or parts,
Of the following counties: Chatham
Bryan, Liberty, Mcintosh, Glynn, Clinch
and Echols. The reports on these sew
eral counties show a very large acreage
of swamp and overflow lands of high
fertility which can be reclaimed at a
comparatively small cost.
EXTENT OF SWAMP AND OVER
FLOW LANDS.
The extent of swamp and overflow
lands in Georgia, as given by Mr.. C. g..
Elliott, chief of drainage Investigations,
office of experiment stations, aggregates
2 100000 acres which Is approximately
liza of the area of the entire state. The
largest Individual area of swamp land in
the state is the. Oxennokee swamp.
which comprises an area Of about 10000
acres. A large part OF this swamp orig
inally belonged to the state. but 1t was
sold by an act of the legislature in
lew 10 private COfPOTdlAOn 1OI 70 IL
cents per acre. Some idea may be had
OF the extent OF the states swamp and
overflow lands when 1t is stated that
they exceed In area more than one-third
of Holland. which supports a population
of about twice that of Georgia. In other
words, If all of the swamp and overflow
lands of Georgia were drained and prop
'erly cultivated 1t would be possible for
these lands to support a population
greater than half of the states popula-
ton as shown by the census of 1910
HOW STATE WOULD BENEFIT BY
DRAINAGE.
BY an examination of the last report
Of State Comptroller General Wright, 1t
VIII be noticed that the so-called unim-
proved lands of the coast counties of the
state. which lands include all swamp
and overflow lands, are valued at from
$0.67 TO S126 per acre, or an average
of about 81 per acre. Swamp lands, l am
informed, in many places can actually
be purchased at from 50 to So per acre.
1t is well known fact that both
swamp and overflow lands are, as a gem
eral rule, remarkably. fertile, and when
properly drained and cultivated yield
luxuriant crops. Lands of this charac-
ter in Georgia should bring at a low
estimate $50 or more per acre or so times
their present assessed valuation, as
shown by the tax returns. I'm case these
lands were drained, the State, instead
Of receiving, as it does. an annual in
come in taxes to the amount of $4,000.
would receive $675. 900. 1t is true that this
estimate is made on the supposition that
all of the land be reclaimed, which viii
probably never be completely realized:
nevertheless, the ratio OF increase IN
taxes to the state viii hold good for