The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-04-10
DRAINAGE WORK
MAKING HEADWAY
And FIorahome Farmers are
Safe for Normal Weather.

Engineer E. W.. Watkins, in charge
of drainage work at both Florahome
and Bostwick, has been in the city
this week and has made his regular
monthly report of progress to the
Drainage Commission.
Mr.. Watkins stated that work at
Florahome was now SO far advanced
that farmers could cultivate crops in
perfect safety in normal weather;
that there was not too much water
in the bitches and canals. but only
what was needed to avoid the expense
of irrigation. The only trouble
would be in taking care of the water
in deluge, such as, comes only in the
fall with the equinoxiaI storms. This
he hopes to remedy soon. 1t is his
one problem-how to take care of q
great excess of water.
Mr.. Watkins report to the drain.
age board is as follows:
Il am pleased to report the affairs
of both drainage districts to be in q
satisfactory condition and work pro-
crossing as well as can be expected.
During the month | had the Chief
of Drainage Investigation, acting fol
the United States Agricultural De-
parment, visit both districts with me
Personally, he gave, me much encour
agement and will make detailed re-
port to the Commission later.
II asked that he make such recon-
mendations as he thought good fol
the two districts. The two of us to-
gether measured up two thousanc
one hundred and eighy-fve Q,1S5l
lineal feet of finished canal, result OF
thirteen 13) days dredge work, ant
our calculations agreed that in this
distance 4,087.6 net cubic yards Of
material had been excavated 1--WE al,
lowed so percent off for old excava'
tion) at a cost of 2 IL cents a cubic
yard. Our calculations were basec
on an operating cost of $500 per day
Of course, this record cannot be helc
as a regular thing; it is much less
than $4,000 per mile.
"The dredge lost, all told, 80 Il
hours during the month on account
of being out of Older, changing ca
bles, etc. The dredge is not perfect
ed yet and l regret to report that we
uollS up tHc fCdDlCo NSly looe
Also encountering much trouble with
shifting or caving banks in sand cuts
Sput feet will assist in the elimina-
ton of both, though our shelves arc
of very small circumference for the
size cable it takes to handle 81
yard dipper 1t is imperative that
the boat be equipped with spuds at
once, so that we can handle longer
boom for the deep cut just ahead
The boat is now at Station 1O2, and
the deep cut begins at Station "a, 3
disance of only 800 feet ahead.
Relative to the Bostwick district;
find much very fine land that can.
not be cultivated with any degree OF
safety until reclaimed by a system
of drainage canals. This system is tc
be more complex than that Of the
Florahome district. However, wher
it is once done the tax can come oil
this district. No system of dykes
ETC., will then be needed to safeguard
the farmers.
81 find also in this district large
areas of timber muck that is so high
ly priced in the Florahome district
The latter, is, of course, submerged
in deep water most of the time. IT
is beautifully situated for drainage
and would alone, when drained, make
of the Bostwick district a thrifty
community"