The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1921-06-30
LOW LANDS ARE BEST
FOR DIVERSIFIED CROP
Wet Acres Pay for their Own
Reclamation under Georgia
Drainage District Law.

slows down HIS pldnI ana reduces
production, but he uses this time
to repair and improve his machin-
cry, SO that when the time for
speeding up comes there will be
nothing to hinder a big and prof
liable output,
When farm products are low and
the market full, the wise farmer
will reduce his acreage Of crops
requiring much labor, and plant
those crops that help the land, and
will use his spare time to improve
his land and farm buildings. He
always has in mind that no matter
how bad business is, or how low
prices may go, there must be re-
action. People must have food and
clothes. 1t is from the land that
these have come in the past, and
it is only from the land that they
must come in the future; therefore,
time spent in Improvement of the
land is never thrown away. how
ever low farm products may be at
the moment. This is a logical and
conservative statement.
One important feature of farm
Improvement has been largely neg
lected in Georgia solely because
the people have not been generally
informed concerning the provis-
ions of the drainage law of the
state. For ages the waters have
been taking the soil from the hill
sides, filling and overlooking the
streams, spreading, and making
waste marshes Of these bottoms.
Here lie thousands of fertile acres,
capable of producing corn and 9TH
er crops in great abundance, and
that without any fertilizers, if on
iy these acres can be made safe for
cultivation.
Knowing the character of these
lands, farmers ere tempted to
plant them, year after year, only
to have the result of their labors
destroyed by one or two overflows.
Then the lands are abandoned to
become an unsightly menace to
the health of the community. Per-
haps the losses of a single year
might have sufficed to ditch the
lands, but without cooperation,
from above and below, this would
prove worse than futile. 1t was to
meet this situation that the Geor-
gia drainage law was passed.
Under the law, these lands be-
come the sole security for their
own reclamation, and instead of
remaining a dangerous liability,
they are transformed into valu-
able asset. Often the first crop
pays for the whole improvement,
to say nothing of the better health,
which is a blessing which can not
be measured in dollars and cents.
The law is no longer an expert
mental one; Walton, Cobb, Gwin-
nett, and number Of other coun-
ties have already abundantly
proved its benefits. In Cobb alone,
are four completed drainage dis
tricts' one under way, and several
others being organized.
Since the South must turn to the
diversification of crops to redeem
her farming interests, bottom land
should be peculiarly valuable at
this time, and surely there never
was a better time for farmers to
put in some work on the improve
ment of their lands. Aside from
the bond provision for financing
drainage districts, the government
IS offering farmers money for farm
Improvement at rates, and upon
terms, which the banks can not
obtain.
Briefly stated, drainage dis
trlct under the Georgia law is or
gained as follows:
Assuming that the wet lands in
valley for a number of miles is
your district, the owners of three
1lfths of the land, or a majority
Of the owners sign a petition for
the creation of drainage district.
This is filed, with guarantee
OF any preliminary expense should
the district fail of organization, in
Tie office of the Clerk of Superior
Court, who sends notice of a hear
ing to any owners who may not
nave signed the petition.
This hearing is had before the
drainage Court, composed of the
Clerk of the Superior Court and
the County Commissioners (where
mere are no commissioners the
ordinary or other county officer
HdVlnO 0hopa.a of fko 40 do aafct