The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1917-05-04
Mr.. Editor:

ders, Cliff Sanders and myself, made
a trip to Walton County for the pur-
pose of inspecting and investigating
the Farm Drainage work now being
done in that county. 1t has made
such an impression upon US that they
have delegated me to write an ar
ticle, and ask our County papers to
publish it as it might be the means
of causing some of our creek bottom
owners to go and see the work.
/ would like to say in the begin
ming that, with the exception of Wal
ton County, it looked to us as we
went along the public road that the
people have planted their entire crop
in cotton, and this has convinced me
more fully than ever of the impor-
lance of the work which Cobb Coun-
| ty Food Products Safety Association
has undertaken to do in Cobb Coun-
ty. Those people can't eat cotton so
we have to raise something to eat
to keep them from starving.
We claim to have a great County
agriculturally speaking, but. we are
going to have to get up early to keep
ahead of old Walton if, indeed, we
are ahead. l never saw a County or
set of farmers who made a greater
impression upon me than they did.
They are up-to-date, and in their
farming operations are using the
most improved methods, and exercis-
ing good sound judgement. If they
don't make money on those large,
beautiful, well-kept and well-tilled
fields there is no hope for farmers to
make money. We met and talked
with a large number of farmers and
business men of Monroe and Walton
County, and every one Of them were
enthusiastic and expressed a determ-
nation to see that old Walton County
comes up next fall with one of the
biggest crops for both man and beast
that they have ever made in the his
tory of their county. And l believe
they are going to do it.
However the subject upon which
| wish to lay the greatest stress, and
which prompts me to write this ar
ticle, is the great work those people
are doing in draining out their bot
tom lands and preparing them for
the production of big corn crop
The first ditch we inspected was
on Haynes Creek in Gwinnett Coun.
ty. 1t is ten miles long and was
cut about four years ago. We were
informed by one land owner that be-
fore this ditch was cut he and his
family and number of other fami-
lies along the creek were all down
with chills and fever. The water was
all over the creek bottom stagnating
and producing millions of mosqui-
toes. None of the land was in cult
walton. 1t was really too wet for
pasturage, and this man told us that
he had actually lost large number
of cattle by letting them run on this
| creek pasture.
Now every bit of the land has
been cleared up, side bitches cut and
blinded, and all the land now being
planted in corn. This man told us
that he had already made enough
clear profit on this land to pay his
part of the ditching, and clearing it
up.
The next creek visited was Jacks
creek which has been ditched for nine
miles, and drained eleven hundred
acres of rich bottom land They
made a fine corn crop on it the first
year, which was last year, and this
year they are planting it for bump
er corn crop.
The next drainage district is that
of Cornish Creek, seventeen miles
long, and draining Fourteen hundred
and two acres. They are now at
work on this creek, and as fast as
the ditch is being cut tAe farmers
are clearing up the land and putting
it into cultivation.
The biggest ditch in the County is
what is known as Alcovy River This
ditch will be nineteen miles long
when completed and drain Eighteen
hundred and twenty-five acres of a
superior class of bottom land. A
part of this mileage is Beaver Dam
Greek and Bay Greek, and they are
also following the dredge boat with
their clearing and planting on this
creek.
One man, DR.. j. A. Pirkle, owns one
hundred and twenty-five acres OF a
tom Land on this ditch which will soon
be making him from Five thousand
to Seven thousand bushels of corn
per year. Mr.. S. I. Moore owns
One hundred and thirty-five acres.
and Judge f. M. Williams owns