The Marshall republican., 1911-02-17
DRAINAGE 10 THE MOST PROFIT.
ABLE INVESTMENT KNOWN
TO FARMERS.
1000 PER CENT ReALlzEn
Southeast Missouri Leading In MsA
ern Methods Of Utilizing the inr
measurable Fertile Flooded
lands Of This state.

we'll bUtut nus Utfh Ahbt oukntY
proven by the progressive farmers %
Missouri. Figures gathered by the
Missouri Waterway Commission In In
recently completed study Of drainage
conditions show that optimistic Mis-
sourians have put the vast sum OF
81, 800. 900 into drainage bitches. and
this money has been returned TO them
with profits Aladdin.like in their pro
portions.
Ten years q there were 3.750.0oa
acres Of land In this state which we're
totally under water or useless be-
cause OF excessive moisture. South
east Missouri. rendered low by thu
New Madrid earthquakes Of 1stt-t3.
was more extensively cursed with this
excess Of natures greatest gift thar
any other part OF the state.
Rivers in that territory were small
IN crooked and had but a slight fall.
hence they were inadequate to carry
OF the continuously heavy rainfall of
that region. The land continually re-
sembled an o%verfiowed street with the
rainfall gaining steadily on the insuf-
hcient sewers: thei efore Il was hut
natural that Southeast Missourlans
became the pioneers In drainage
work. by deepening and Strengthening
their stream the fowor gradually
gained on the rainfall until there was
no excess. and consequently no
swamp lands.
Pemlscot. the southern.most county
OF this state. leads In the drainage
work. This progressive county has
added 10 It's assessable wealth and
tillabie area 230.s9s acres OF land.
This work cost about s3sO.000. or
about $3.50 per acre. and has In
creased the value OF the reclaimed
area from practically nothing to from
$500 TO 5000 per acre. The total
increased value Is placed conservar
lively at $500. 900. OF a return OF
more than 1000 pee cent on the orig
lnai investment
Dunklin county farmers ave
spurned the tabled omen and have
constructed thirteen drainage dis
tricts. totailng 100 miles In length and
draining 10000 acres. at a total cost
OF s523,0 Cotton, wheat, corn and
alfalfa have replaced mosquitoes Inc
miasmatic dampness as the usual
crops from these acres.
Mississippi county has snatched
from the embrace OF the swamps 200.-
900 acres. and has restored them to
eager farmers. who have given good
account OF their stewardship.
One hundred thousand acres In
Stoddard county. $4,000 In Butler and
$4,000 In Scott county have been. by
engineering ingenuity. added to the
wealth of the state, at u cost not ex-
ceeding $500 per acre. These figures
do not include the Little River drain
age district-the largest In the world
which Is now In course OF ON
struction. and which includes 10000
acres OF land lying In the counties
OF Cape Girardeau, Scott. S~toddard.
Pemiscot. Mississippi. Dunklin and
New Madrid.
:. This vast area--larger than many
boasted European prlnelpalities-is To
he reclaimed at a cost OF $1,000, 900.
or $500 per acre. The Increased val
uation OF the land VIII rot be less
than $4,000 900, and the increase In
the annual crop ou,puI not less than
Si2. 900. 900. This is a cash return In
land values OF G25 per cent. and an
annual return from TIE Investment of
500 per cent. The cost Is higher per
ucre than In other drainage districts.
because the problems met are more
complicated and the work when com
pleted will be more thorough. How
ever, the work OF educating people In
these counties to the benefits OF drain
age has been we'll done, and the bur
den OF $500 per acre is gladly shout
dered by the land owners.
In other counties drainage at n
dearer rate has been accomplished.
, In Holt county $500 acres have
acre; while the farmers OF Marion
county paid $3.50 per acre to drain
10 900 acres.
Q st. Louis county. having the most
valuable land In the state. because
. of its proximity TO a large city and
consequent availability for truck gar
dening. paid s2S. 7s9 for draining 736
acres OF land. This was at HI rate
OF $685. 90 per acre. n no one has zee
been heard to complain Of this price.
: for the producing value OF the district
was increased $3.50. 900. OIL more than
. 100 per cent per annum.
Other counties In the state have
a harkened to the call Of the world
for more producing land. and have In
vested their money In ditch construc
tions. and It has Melted them uniform
ly handsome returns. Atchison coun
~ has reclaimed a.s4o acres; Howard
$780, Lincoln. $500; Ray. $500. AM