The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1954-08-05
Noble Soil

through the Larrick farm. With
county equipment, hedges and
large elm trees were uprooted
and removed. The road was
widened and graded and sub
stantial bitches were cut through
to the small creek that is cross
ed by the road. The commission
ers and highway department
were cooperative with their
work because they realize that
if the drainage program is taken
up by every farmer, it will have
untold effects on the county
highway systems.
The bottom-land where Field
Day preparations will be held
this month may be described,
much the same as thousands of
acres in the state, as follows;
The land itself is known as
base-level topography, or as low
as it can possibly be. At the
same time, it is crossed by
number of small streams, filled
with water with no place to go,
as there is no down-hill from
that point. Following even a
small rain, these bottoms fill UP
quickly because there is no out
let for the flood-waters. Larrick
mentioned that he has seen the
county road that passes through
the bottom flooded three times
in one day.
Even in the case of little or
no rain, the land is marshy from
springs that seep from the hills.
Following a rain, the water must
either soak in or evaporate -
it has no other escape.
The purpose of the Field Day
demonstration will be to show
farmers with similar problems
that the drainage work can be
done with farm implements. The
big opening, when the hedges
and trees were cleared from the
roadside on the Larrick farm,
was made by the county high
way crews but in most cases,
farmers have marshy land to
contend with, without the
trouble of flood-danger on their
roads.
Mrs. Sarah Larrick, mother of
Miley said, 81 never thought I'd
see the time come when I'd see
that land used, but now will"
She also can remember when
floods ripped out the rail fences
In that area but she cannot re-
member when those marshes
were farmed at all.
The elderly Mrs. Larrlck told
us that the Larrick family orr
glnally came to America from
Germany. Jacob, one of the sons
crossed from the East in a COW
ered wagon and took a 1000
acre grant from the government
IN what is now Ohio. Indians
still roamed the country at that
time and he paid the govern
ment for his land, 25 acres at a
time, at $l.00 per acre. He had
seven children and divided his
land between them. One of
Jacobs sons was Levi Larrick
who married and named his
son, Teter w. Teter w. Larrick
was Miley's father and the hus-
band of Mrs. Sarah Larrick. The
same land is now held by the
fifth generation of Larricks.
After five generations, at
tempts are being made to elimi.
nate the wasting of crop-land
that cannot be farmed because
of lack of drainage.
The above concerns the Lar
rick farm alone but there are
thousands of acres of land in the
same condition throughout the
watershed, To completely elimi-
nate the fear of mo use planting
this Spring, if it's wet, I'm out of
luck" all of the farms must
be properly drained, to protect
the land next door
The county has been very CO.
operative with farmers concern
ing drainage, A recent survey
shows that Noble county is look
ed upon as the best county for
maintaining drainage systems in
| Ohio.