Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-21
IHE RICH SWAMP LANDS
Il OF VIRGINIA CAROLINA
Story Well Told Of How They Are
Redeemed and Made to Iu-
crease Food Supply.
ANNUAL BURNING

~ MI6IEhlOtS ANNUAL bShSiRS
Gs.Stnck" Corn That Grows and Ma
lures Without Being Worked.
Richest Lands in the World Avail
able After Draining.
}s-sF. w. Mckinney. OF Norfolk has
Nwritten for the Manufacturers Record
Z most interesting story OF how the
fertile swamp lands OF Virginia and
North Carolina are reclaimed and
Il drained in order that they may he Gull
tlva,ed. and thus help win the war
by adding 10 the nations food supply.
He first explains for the benefit of the
reader who is unacQusintcd with the
"black lands of Eastern Virginia and
North Carolina, whore the so-called
.stuck corn" fields are rapidly grow
Ing in size and number, about the AN
nual burn" which takes place an
nually about May /.
The burn" as ne explains. is a part
Only OF the process OF redecminS and
reclairning the Wonderfully rich swamp
territory which comprises vast areas
In the South. especially in Eastern
North Carolina. and TO the stranger
and newcomer IT Will no doubt be In
teresting to have explained how these
swamps are reclaimed and made To
contribute TO the nations food supply.
* When the fertility Of these immense
5swamps was discovered is difficult to
Learn. They are. in fact. extensive
npckets or basins lying between higher
ridges or levels. some adjacent TO
9treams. others setting back into the
Ryel tidewater districts many miles
from the shore OF the ocean or sounds.
Their fertility is marvellous, formed.
rs they are, by vegeta ton deposited
Year after year for countless ages.
wv a
...-5ss,,,. Is WELL DONE
II However. In recent times. extending
back seven or more years. practical.
,businesslike steps have been taken to
redeem some parts OF these areas by
tapping tha swamps by means of proper
and adequate drainage canal systems.
That is to say. start Would be made
at tidewater. where in the initial steps
a floating dredge would be constructed.
and. when ready for operation with
trailer or scow following for accom-
mediation OF labor. supplies and ma
,teriai, would commence TO dig and take
one of the first steps preparatory TO
the burn.
This system implies that there must
first be provided an outlet to tidewater
for the vast waterlogged and soaked
basins or pockets. and as the floating
.dredSe carves its way up small streams
%. inlets and across an obstructlnE
ridge into the body OF black humus
deposits, ,hich may be from one mile
to Ave miles from tide. The engineers
have there. previously plated or in lay
ing out the so-cailed districts provided
numerous divisions, When these plats
are laid out the same dredGes are
used TO dig canals, twenty feet wide
and fourteen feet deep. every half
mile over the entire area TO be drained.
While these main canals which lead
Into the Quiet canal are being con-
structed, the water : held back by
dams, in order 10 accommodate the
{ aoatins dredse. When the district Is
6 finished the dredge must retrace ITS
Z for removal. FOR the water must be
released and thus provide the next i'm
portant step in draining the areas
TURNING THE SURPLUS
WATER INTO TIVE SEA
The elevations OF these swamps above
4 ddewater are from five TO forty feet
hence tho moment the dams or obstruc-
lions arc removed the excess water for
all time will speedily lind its way TO the
ocean by gravity out through the
laterals-outlet canals to connecting
streams or inlet
The next steps leading up to the
burn" and redemption OF the land
follow quick and fast. as compared
With the slo movement OF the foatins
uISQ6Ss. WIN the nnlSned ana nl-
merous canals open and the water
levels reduced rom one to three feet
ever the swamp areas to eight TO four
teen feet below the average surface.
hand labor is set quickly 10 work dig
Efng lateral bitches about 500 10 500
feet apart at right angles TO these
main canals. These bitches should.
Hore feet deep. and gradually !ess%niag
IN depth SO as e: give an easy 10"
from the half-mils. cen,et OF me .s-t
With these lateral drains 9: :..ss
completed, the next step is - Ec4 --e..
labor and coHar- cree 10 cut e-.t -=s.--
this th!ckly matted timt-. ..se
Large and small timber is ,hs. nc -
down, until freQuo1tly large areas are
covered many feet deep with the slash
ings of these impenetrahle ewamps
In the clearing developments some
are large and compact. others scattered
areas. II is advisable 20 begin cutting
I IN, the spring and summer OF the wear
prsvious 10 the burn In the Nay fol,
lowing. thus giving ample time for the
dead and drying forest growth to be-
come p-actit ally as. dry as powder AZ
result the burn may be most com
plete. reducing even a portion Of the
legs. somo l2X2i inches in diameter
into ashes
i CONSTANT WATCH OUT AGAINST
SPREAD OF THE FIRE
Operations OF this character in Beau.
fort and Washington Counties conpris,
areas amounting 10 900 10 10000
acres in an area OF ten miles square
which will be fired as nearly as DOS
sable the same moment, and before this
z horr OF i:ins no smoking" signs are
seen ELL about. From the moment ms
torch is applied by any one, thos.
Z within the district, out OF self-protec
tion, must apply theirs for even witt