The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-07-28

dred more members next year than
there is now.
| respectively. Distances were meas
| w ad By stadia and bearings taken by
| the magnetic needle. Cross sections
/ OF the valley were made and tribu-
| tary streams meandered when deemed
necessary. The principal topographic
| features and all visible evidences OF
divisions and property lines were To-
Gated. Bench marks. including three
Standard drainage Investigations
| benches. were established at inter-
walls of about one mile, All instru-
| ment and turning points were fixed
| by hubs or by nails driven In the
roots of trees, and marked by guard
stakes showing the station number in
| blue.
| The total cost or the field work
| was So. 1852. To this must be added
| s1,1s1.26 expended for office work IN
preparing plans estimate and report.
! making ss.s7s,65 as the total en-
| cheering cost Of the investigation
or about twenty-five cents per acre.
The rate of run-off is affected by
| many physical and climatic condi-
| tons such as the size, shape, slope
and agricultural development of the
| drainage area, the depth and char
acter of the soil and the extent OF the
vegetation upon it, the duration, In
tensity and direction Of storms. and
the temperature and evaporative
| capacity Of the atmosphere.
Precipitation or rainfall ia OBJ
viousiy the most important Of these
factors, but they are so complex and
tinterrelated that no formula for run
| Off yet deduced takes cosnizance of
| them all or is even moderately salts
factory when applied to a particular
| watershed.
In the case of the Chickahominy
| river. data are very meagre. There
is probably but one rain gage in the
watershed. that at Ashland near tho
extreme northerly headwaters. There
are no cages for recording heights
| and az far as known no measure
ments OF discharge have ever been
| n ade.
In general 1t can be stated that
| land drainage lis most needed dur
Ing the early spring. As has already
been shown, at this season evapora-
| ton, the absorptive capacity of the
soil. and the moisture requirements
OF vegetation are near a minimum,
! while rainfall Is more nearly con-
tinuous, even if less intense than dur
| ing the growing months.
In determining tine size Of cham
mel 10 care for the run-off Of the
Chiclsanon1iny watershed 1t has
seemed wisest to provide for a mod
crate increase over and above this
ordinary winter and spring stage To
do less would not provide sufficient
outlet and would leave tho land I'M
| drained and in poor condition for
early working and planting While
| 1t might be desirable to care for
heavy frestet and flood discharges, to
do moro than as indicated above
would be unnecessary ana an UNI
warranted expenditure OF money.
! The Plan.
| The plan for the Improvement Of
| the Chickanomlny river contem-
plates:
! t1) The deepening and straighten.
ing of the present stream channel
from above Atlee to Providence Forge,
| a working distance of 35.5 miles
| cd The deepening and gtraighten-
ing of the principal tributary, Brook
run, for u distance upstream from
| its mouth Of abou. "a miles
| t3) The excavating Of new cham
\ nels or cut-orfs at swo points where
the present bed OF the river is par
ticuarly cireuitcus a total distance
OF IL mile.
90 The repair Of existing bridges
or their replacement with new and
substa ntial structures as dredging
| operations may make necessary,
| Cost Summary.
| The total estimated cost of the
work herein proposed and outlined
Is as follows:
Estimated cost OF chan
| nels ........ .slfs,74s.0t
Estimated cost of bridges e1,715.oo
Allow for engineering. or
| ganization. and contIn-
gencies, Is per cent 80. 100000
Total -.........-.... .$1s1.534.00
Area benefited 1882 acres,
| Average cost per acre, s10.s5.
Should the work as outlined m
/ this report be carried out what re.
suits might be expected? II Is not the
! purpose here to hold out ,atterina
inducements. for the great adva0s
| ges and benefits Of drainage are
well known. One suggestion, how
ever. may be useful: Good English
| hay is always in demand in the At
iantic States for it is seldom thar
! production IS sufficient for local de-
n'ands. First quality timothy hay In
now MAY Fl. 1917 quoted at $3e
I per ton f. o. b. Richmond, the sup
| ply coming mainly from the Middle
West. At this price and a. yield OF
only one ton per acre per year, thu
/ Chickahouiny river bottom landD
/ would produce a gross revenue Of
nearly half million dollars annually.
Stated in another way, il the lands
were in grass the growth in four
months would nay for al -thn-iE a--
proyements herein outlined.
The estimate submitted il not in
tended to cover the cost OF such
private bitches as may be necessary
TO fully reclaim Individual owners
| ships. but merely To secure a sufsf-
cient channel and outlet for the
. lands as a whole.
Mr.. August Qualfhes.
When Ben Il. August qualified fer