The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-11-21
Of
DRAINAGE MEETING
Objects and Accomplishments,
So Far, of State Drainage
Association Set Forth in Re-
port of Committee

Raleigh, Nov. THE delegates vhs
formed the splendid meeting of the Srite
Drainage Association have about all re
turned 70 the r homes, with renewed nl?e
OF accomplishing the sfeat objects which
brought this association into lie ny.
These objects are well stated IN the
following report Of the COMMITTEE 5a Res
buttons, ana VIII Be READ WITH interest
and proIt:
Report of the Committee on Resoiutl ems.
1he North Carolina Drainage Assoc.a-
tioh, III its fourth annual contention. mas
inuGISe III consratulation upon the results
"Hcu have been sccoIIpI Sueti S.Gce Inc
An-tldl injecting n tie ctty OF New Sem
II I3oS. IuI5 assoc at.On was CrGau+zeu
lof tie purpose ut unIIyinz the pupuc
sentiment winch had been aroused ~ rec
oSA1t on oI tie necessity CT Ia1u dIu mage.
ne thoughtlul ana progresS.se citizens q.
me STATE were Contributed Win 4 remark
;tpIe condition, VIII Oh may be briefly sum
inaf-zed. y careful estimate showed tnat
ti4ere were within the state about 2,SJ,uni
dctes OF unrec-a med wet and swamp
laIus. These lands constituted the most
fertile W thin ITS boundar.e s. In the
sWamps OF the coastal plan and il the
RIVER valleys III the piedmont SECTION these
lands lay dormant and unDrChtable The +
only recognized value consisted in the
growing timber which they contained, a
sarge part Of which had been removed.
Much Of tbs area was formerly owned
by the State and by the State Board OF
Education, and had been sold to ;ndi-
viduals and corporations at Il low value,
the purchasers having no other immed ate
purpose than the removal of the timber
thereon. The same authority estimated
that at least 100000 acres Of these I'M
reclaimed lowldHds were susceptible of
drainage at a reasonable cost, and the
greater part thereof could be drained by
gravity. Wei might the inqu ry arise as
to whether tn s valuable asset was longer
to continue undeYeloped and u~nrelnuner-
atiNe c.
This does not comprise, by any means,
all the lands where drainage was demand
ed. Many acres OF the most productive
lands were recla med years ago and Guilt
waited for generations and was unsatisfac-
tory in its productiveness. In every year
OF excessive ra MALL the growing crops
were impaired. the T productiveness great
~ dim nished. How often has the state
nlent beeu heard that the early season
promised good crops but the excess re
rains in midsummer drowned them OUT
Farming on such lands in the face OF such
unsatisfactory conditions was OF necess ty
Improbable.
Must this more than a mill on acres of
most fertile unreclaitHed lands longer re-
main undeveloped and Improbable? Must
the wet cultivated lands, estimated TO con-
tain in the aggregate about six million
acres, continue to be cultivated " tn fail
ure or partial failure Of crops every two
or three years? There could only be one
answer. All of these lands could be sue
cessfully dra ned SO as to insure album
dant yields every recurring year. There
are no engineering problems which have
not been solved, as illustrated in other see
IONS and States. The cost OF such drain
age was within the linn is of economical
Investment and would yield abundant re
turns.
There was only one phase of the prob
lem, however. which was involved in the
successful drainage of these areas. 1t has
come TO be recognized that the nrob'em
IS beyond the capacity Of the individual
I1vJnvxnnr Thjc iG rIJa Fnf only l1nc9I GO
of the cost, hut because It was a com
nun ty problem. The tract of land which
can be successfully dra ned without ref
erence to contiguous lands is very rare.
Generally the dra mage Of one tract is con
nected with and dependent unon the drain
age of other tracts. The dominant lend
for drainage through the s~ervient lands,
and the latter must take care of water
which flows from the dominant land. It
was recognized that only large areas could
be successfully and economically drained
and that the burden mnSt be distributed
among all the landowners n proportion
as the lands were benefited.
This asSociat on. at its first session in
New Perm in 1908. appointed q committee
instructed 10 frame q su' table law. As 4
result Of the efforts thus Instituted the
ern drainage law which was amended II
several respects by the General Assembly
of 1911. Under tbs law ffty-four districts
have been started. and in some OF them
Al IL - Sf''tNA ~
works constructed and the henefcent re-
suits are now being recognized. In the
Others satisfactory progress has been re-
ported. Not the least gratifying feature
IS the fact that the basic and initial pro-
visions Of this law have been upheld and
annroved by the SUPREME Court or the
State. This test of the law has not only
rel eyed the apprehension OF skeptics. but
has satisfied nroSnect We purchasers as to
the validity of the bonds issued by the
drainage districts. II now only remains
to administer the law and to observe with
care It's several PROVISIONS.
rho exclamation and effective drainage
Of Vet lands world alone justly the law
and the efforts Of this association to pro-
mote this important economic movement.
h,,t there are At least two public purposes
70 be Subserved by drainage. which serv.
to ennhaSize its Importance. The con-
seryot.ou of the nublic health IS now oc-
cunving in a marked degree the attention
Of the med cal men and the 'avmen every
whore. If all the other conditions are ia
voraI,le good health can not be ma ntained
in unarained sections. The drainage will