Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-08-01
LOUISIANA TRANSFORMS
ocean" into LAND
Millions of Acres of Wet Prai-
RE Lands Are Being Rapidly
Reclaimed

NEW ORLEANS, July s1.-Reclaiming
desert. is task set for itself by the
United States government In the arid
west. Retaining an ocean and convert
ing it into lands as rich as any in the
world. is a task set and being accom-
pIished by the people of Louisiana, at
their own expense. This, in q. brief way.
expresses what is being done in Louis
lana in the way OF retaining millions
of acres OF wet prairie" land along the
gulf coast and extending $50 miles in
land, fFaversed BY the innumerable wa
terways. Aeons ago this landTrwas the
oceans bed.
Today IT Is the deep rich soil of the
delta, and modern science has made 1t
as dry. safe and disable as the prairie
lands of the middle west.
100000 MARSH ACRES.
1t is estimated that there are 100000
acres Of marsh lands in Louisiana sus-
ceptible to reclamation and cultivat ton
and which will add over $3.50. 900 to
the annual agricultural wealth of the
state This. ii is estimated, has an an
NAL earning capacity OF $50 per ACRE,
which is far below the present earnings
OF the cultivated acres of southern Lou
fsiana-
The movement for reclamation began
in a small way 10 or u years ago, but
only within the last two years has II at
tracted national attention., and today,
the drainage and reclamation scheme in
this state is comparable only with the
work accomplished by Holland in the
past 1oo0 or more years.
Marsh lands costing from 81 TO 50 an
acre are being reclaimed and put on the
market at a cost averaging $35 an acre
and bring anywhere from 500 per acre
upward. II Is said by soil experts that
the aIIuvial lands now under reclama-
ton and susceptible OF reclamation have
potential value OF from 500 to 500
per acre. Shrewd moneyed men Of Illi-
nois, Iowa, Pennsylvania and New York
seeing these possibilities. have invested
millions Of dollars In Louisiana lands
within the past two years. and the tide
q this direction has only begun
NEW METHOD USED.
The reclamation OF Louisiana marsh
lands differ peculiarly from that OF
any other section. owing to the fact
that hand In hand with reclamation goes
navigation. Louisiana has nearly 1000
miles Of navigable streams, most OF
which are situated IN these rich alluvial
gulf coast lands. Well organized sys-
TENS OF drainage districts have been In
stituted, one connecting up with the
other To drain q tract OF land canals
are dug surrounding the tract. Laterais
are dug leading into the canal and the
canals drain thence into the bayous and
navigalble streams.
These canals surrounding the reclaimed
lands are navigable to barges and power
boats The product of the land Is loaded
upon these barges. towed into the bayous,
from the bayous into the rivers and
lakes and thence into the markets Of New
Orleans and the world. These products
consist OF rice. sugar. cotton. oranges,
grape fruit, corn and an unlimited variety
OF garden truck. In other words, the
problem OF transportation is solved at
once with the problem Of reclamation and
immensely cheap marketing Of products.
SALT MASH SOIL.
One of the most interesting expert
ments in late years is the result of the
government tests as to the use Of salt
marsh son for cultivation. Experiments
demonstrate the fact that, in very
short time, the reclaimed salt marsh
lands are soon convertible into cultivate
bic soil throughrain wash. Recent govern
ment tests have confirmed this. and IN
this manner enormous areas of salt
marsh hitherto considered worthless.
will be brought into cultivation and be-
come equally as valuable as the soil OF
/ the fresh water marshes Of Louisiana.