Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-08-01
STATE DRAINAGE
ASSOCIATION
Meeting

The last session of the state legis-
lature refused to pass a drainage bill
(proposed at the instance of Governor
Phillips, drawn by a committee ap-
pointed by him) and appointed joint
committee composed of three senators
and four assemblymen to prepare and
report such bill to the 1919 session
That joint committee met with the
Wisconsin State Drainage Association
in the City Hall of this city Thursday
evening July 25 and discussed at con
siderable length the proposed new bill
F. W. Lucas, Prof. E. R. Jones and
B. NJ Vaughan of the Governors
Committee were present and explained
the bill.
On Friday the joint committee Of
the legislature and about thirty mem
bers of the association autoed thru
the Wood County, the Cranberry
Creek, the Remington and the Little
Yellow Drainage Districts, distance
of about eighty miles. They were
served Red-Cross dinner at the home
of Mr.. Anton Brost, in the Cranberry
Greek Drainage District, by the Red
Cross ladies, living in those districts
and Babcock
Saturday they made a like trip thru
the Leola and Portage County Drain
age Districts.
With them the first day were Pro
fessors E. R. Jones and 0. R. Zeasman
ready to answer questions on practical
drainage.
Those who took the trip saw several
thousand acres of excellent rye, oats,
barley, wheat, buckwheat, potatoes,
tame hay, garden truck, corn, onions,
cabbage, beans, peas, sugar-beets, can
ming beets, rutabagas, other root crops
and alfalfa, growing on drained swamp
lands, that twelve years ago were so
wet that a team could not cross them
WlJnOuC wearing clogs.
Much of the rye is ripe and compe-
tent judges estimate that it will yield
more than 80 bushels to the acre. The
average yield of rye on high Hand in
Wisconsin is about half that. Wheat
is generally promising, while oats on
these low drained lands promise an
enormous yield. Much tame hay was
seen on the trips that is yielding from
IL to 21a tons per acre. All of the
tame crops on the drained marsh lands
promise larger yields than the same
crops do on the higher lands surround
ing the marshes.
The man who built and for two years
ran the grain elevator at Coddington
m the Portage County Drainage Dis
trict, and who has for several years
farmed in that district, estimates that
that district alone will this year pro-
duce more than one hundred fifty
thousand bushels of small grain. Prior
to 1904 it produced no crop other than
marsh hay, and much of the district
was too wet to produce that.
The writer believes that, this years
grain crop, in that district will sell
for enough to pay more than half Of
the cost to date of draining the entire
district. And the same might be said
of the tame crops now growing IL
other districts.
Mr. J. O. Daniels showed the com.
mittee and drainage men very large
crops of oats and rye growing OF
drained peat swamp land, that has
born IA consecutive tame crops since
first drained, with no addition of com
mercial fertilizer and little farm man,
ure. This land before drained woulc
mire cattle.
c. H. Pratt and w. B. Coddingtor
have large numbers of beef cattle anC
horses rolling fat" on their rancho:
in the Leola and Portage County
Drainage Districts, that have had notI
ing but pastureage since spring; while
Mr.. Daniels, of the Remington, ant
Mr.. Brost of the Cranberry Creel
Districts, have each a large herd Q
sleek dairy cattle. Herds of cattl
all in good order, were seen all alon!
the routes. Many of the land holding
are so large that traction engines ar
used to do much of the farm work
Competent judges who went thr
the five districts mentioned estimate
that the drained lands in those dis
tricts (that in 1908 produced no tam
crops) will this year yield more tha
three hundred fifty thousand bushel
of grain.
This, besides large numbers of bee
cattle, hogs and horses, our draine
marsh lands are producing to help WI
the war.
The State Drainage Associate
passed resolutions warmly thankir
the good people of Grand Rapids, wi
so generously furnished them autom
biles for their trip and the Red Gro
ladies who furnished them such {
ample and delicious dinner.