anaheim-gazette 1906-03-29

TO FARM THE SWAMPS Great Government Drainage Projects—Enlargement of the Old Homestead Idea. The man who can provide homes for industrious and strong-armed citizens is a benefactor to the race. If Representative Steenerson of Minnesota can push his swamp reclamation measure to enactment into a law, he will be deserving of the praise of not only this but future generations. His bill is a practical extension of the old homestead idea, or rather, perhaps, an application to the vast areas of our swamp lands of the idea embodied in the national irrigation law. There are in the neighborhood of 100,000,000 acres of swamp land in the United States, some 70,000,000 of which have been surveyed, and the great bulk would make splendid farms, if the excess of water were drained off. The Steenerson bill provides for the beginning of the work of reclamation of these huge areas. The measure is framed after the irrigation law; it provides that the receipts from the sales of public lands in the non-irrigation states shall constitute a "drainage" fund to be expended by the government in great drainage works, and further, that the cost of such drainage shall be pro- 136,000 acres, or more than the area of the total project's tule land covered by eight feet of water, and is to be converted into over a thousand farms. The topographic brace the geological survey, of which reclamation service is also a has also run its lines over most the great swamp areas of the states and as soon as the Steenerson bill becomes a law the geotechnical engineers will be ready to launch into immediate activity in new projects. WOULD START WITH A DOLLARS. The fund provided by the bill be small as compared with the institution fund—it would approximate million dollars a year and would off with about $1,000,000, the from the sales for the fiscal year being included—but on the other cost of drainage would not great as that of irrigation. The importance of this wholesale drainage, in order to vide homes for increased popu­is scarcely second in importance irrigation work. It means that millions of acres of the most land imaginable, which has led for ages, may be converted from and pestilential swamps and bogs into highly prosperous to become the garden spots o­nion. The Dutch have reclaimed areas in Holland from the elements of the ocean. Thousands illies live and farm below sea-gaining their security by mag-feats of engineering and per­sonal effort. The now contemplate the draw­the Zuyde Zee, reclaiming som­ The Steenerson bill provides for the beginning of the work of reclamation of these huge areas. The measure is framed after the irrigation law; it provides that the receipts from the sales of public lands in the non-irrigation states shall constitute a "drainage" fund to be expended by the government in great drainage works, and further, that the cost of such drainage shall be pro-rated among the land benefitted and paid back by the settlers into the "fund" to be used over again for additional reclamation work. WOULD CREATE THOUSANDS OF HOMES. This plan of developing the internal resources of the country and making homes of waste places, is splendid in its scope, and appears to be entirely practicable and profitable. Take for instance, the single example of the swamp lands of the Kankakee river basin in Indiana and Illinois. Here are some 400,000 acres of the very richest of bottom lands, but subject to overflow. They are worthless except where they have been reclaimed through expensive private drainage works, when they have become worth $100 to $150 an acre. Yet it is estimated by the government surveyors and engineers that the entire system could be effectively drained at a cost in the neighborhood of $10 per acre. The same can be said of the lands of the Red River valley in Minnesota. These include the finest grain and farm lands in the northwest except that they are frequently overflowed. It would be worth millions of dollars to the farmers and settlers who would occupy these lands in small tracts, to have a perfect system of drainage provided. These extensive systems, however, especially where they are interstate, seem to be feasible for handling only by the general government. The Steenerson bill places the entire management of the work in the hands of the reclamation service and the plan of operation follows. would occupy these lands in small tracts, to have a perfect system of drainage provided. These extensive systems, however, especially where they are interstate, seem to be feasible for handling only by the general government. The Steenerson bill places the entire management of the work in the hands of the reclamation service and the plan of operation follows very closely the irrigation work now being done by that branch of the Interior department. Government lands, ceded Indian lands and private lands may be included in any drainage project, but in each case, the cost of the drainage improvement is to be borne by the owner of the land and no settlers can have more than 160 acres, thus insuring the division of the tracts into small farms which must be actually settled upon and tilled. DRAINAGE WORK ALREADY IN PROGRESS. This work the Reclamation service is qualified to do at this very moment. While primarily an engineering bureau it has, in all its great irrigation projects, to deal directly with the farmer. It must outline a comprehensive drainage system for each irrigation project, since there is as much danger from too much irrigation as too little, and to do this the service has its own farm and soil experts. Some of the irrigation projects have distinctively drainage features, in fact are almost as much drainage as they are irrigation projects. In the Klamath project An Oakland paper published teresting story regarding the State farm for which legislature appropriated $150 states that one of the most serious that is working against tion in Contra Costa county was recommended by Prof. E. J. of the State University, is the opposition of State Senator C. shaw. Belshaw, so it is said strong personal antipathy ag Supervisor James Stow, who ested in the sale of the tract offered for a farm, and the says that Belshaw is in the u sition of being the only man Costa county who is opposed location of the farm in his own The Tribune rather intimates reports which appeared in Francisco papers about the estate price which was proposed the state for this property o with Belshaw. The most interesting recent that has been published on the appeared in the California Fr er, which says: "Some day in the distance when the boys of the present tion are hoary headed old me dates, or more than half of the total project, is rich recovered by eight or ten percent, and is to be drained into over a thousand acres topographic branch of local survey, of which the service is also a branch, on its lines over many of swamp areas of the eastern coast as soon as the Steenerson was a law the geological will be ready to launch out separate activity in drainage. START WITH A MILLION DOLLARS. Provided by the bill would compared with the irrigation would approximate half a year a year and would start out $1,000,000, the receipts for the fiscal year 1905 ended—but on the other hand drainage would not be so out of irrigation. Importance of this work of drainage, in order to provide for increased population, second in importance to the work. It means that tens of acres of the most fertile table, which has lain idle may be converted from dismal central swamps and useless highly prosperous homes, one garden spots of the nation have reclaimed vast holland from the encroachable ocean. Thousand of famed farm below sea level, air security by magnificent engineering and persistence. Contemplate the drainage of Zee, reclaiming some 1,350-acre corner of modern land. wheel of time has revolved until its bearings are worn and wobbly, it is possible that a site will be chosen for the location of that State farm. It is possible—one would hardly say that it is probable. The present drift of events is too discouraging for much hope to be held out. But the veil of the future always hides the possible, so we may at least hope. "Meantime, the commission selected to choose a site travels around viewing the different offerings—and holding out to each district visited as much hope as political wisdom deems to be safe. "The truth of the matter is that with an election approaching and various members of the commission being more or less deeply involved in politics, it would hardly seem a wise move for them to prefer one section of the state to another in a matter of this kind—until after election. It would, perhaps, be presumptuous to state that no site will be selected until after November—but still we have an old hat that we are willing to wager on the proposition. After election it may be as the gods will. "It is unfortunate that certain ugly stories are being circulated in connection with this matter. The San Francisco papers recently published a story to the effect that the Burgess tract in Contra Costa county which has been offered to the commission at a valuation of $300 per acre, is really held on option by a real estate man for $100 per acre. Of course the story was denied, and we cannot say as to the truth or falsity of it. But the State farm commission should be sure that it is not expending the State's money at $300 an acre for land worth only $100. This proposed farm is for the benefit of the farming population of California, and they should be given the best that can be purchased for the money..." mental swamps and useless highly prosperous homes, one garden spots of the nach have reclaimed vast Malland from the encroachthe ocean. Thousand of famland farm below sea level, air security by magnificent engineering and persistence. ontemplate the drainage of Zee, reclaiming some 1,350,- real acres of meadow land. drainage in most cases or more simple and less exissibly a question as to the nation will see the wising its hand to this work. HER INLAND EMPIRE. Dada the everglades alone— and muck beds—would afmpire of some 7,000,000 New Jersey and Virginia swamps, among them the mesal swamp. In Illinois, generally considered a wellagricultural state, there are acres of swamp land; in there are nearly 6,000,000 tile Iowa has about 2,000,- of swamp land. In Minere are almost 5,000,000 such surveyed swamp lands swamp areas not yet surkansas has tremendous as which could be drained habitable, and in all there are area in the eastern half United States which is equal to the great agricultural Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa, or four smaller eastern own in. Seenerson bill demonstrates government can transform into fertile farm land and settler or owner will pay the government the relalall cost of the improvement, as to be no reason why this creation of value out of waste should not go on any and provide homes for more of rural population. G. E. MITCHELL. tion of $300 per acre, is really held on option by a real estate man for $100 per acre. Of course the story was denied, and we cannot say as to the truth or falsity of it. But the State farm commission should be sure that it is not expending the State's money at $300 an acre for land worth only $100. This proposed farm is for the benefit of the farming population of California, and they should be given the best that can be purchased for the money to be spent. "It seems to the California Fruit Grower unfortunate that the various districts which are rivals for the location of this farm should be attempting to raise bonuses to influence the commission in the matter of choice. For that is what it amounts to. In the first place, the State is not seeking for something for nothing. California is abundantly able to pay for what she gets. The legislature appropriated the sum of $150,000 to pay for land for a state farm, and there was no idea at the time the bill was passed that any section chosen for the location should pay any part of it. And in the second place, we believe that money spent by any part of the state for this purpose will be wasted so far as material benefit to that section is concerned. The selection of a site in any particular place will not mean that land in that district is better than land in many other parts of the state, but merely that it more nearly fulfills the various requirements of the bill appropriating money for the farm." If the Fruit Grower is correct in its analysis of the situation, the farm is not likely to be located very soon. And this much is true; no further consideration is likely to be given to the location of the citrus experiment station and the pathological laboratory in Southern California until the bigger problem of the State farm is finally determined. Southern California, according to the Riverside Press, has this advantage over the central and northern portions of the state. Quite a little of the work which will be done by these state institutions in Southern California is actually in progress. Important pathological work has been going on for many months on the walnut blight and extensive and valuable experiments are being made on the subject of fertilization for orange trees. Much and paper publishes an instory regarding the location the farm for which the last appropriated $150,000. It one of the most serious facworking against the locatra Costa county which was led by Prof. E. J. Wickson State University, is the bitter of State Senator C. M. Belshaw, so it is said, has a personal antipathy against extremely James Stow, who is intersale of the tract that was a farm, and the Tribune Belshaw is in the unique poting the only man in Contra city who is opposed to the lone farm in his own county. One rather intimates that the which appeared in the San papers about the extortionwhich was proposed to charge for this property originated law. It interesting recent article been published on this matter in the California Fruit Growways: Day in the distant future, boys of the present generaary headed old men and the Southern California, according to the Riverside Press, has this advanage over the central and northern portions of the state. Quite a little of the work which will be done by these state institutions in Southern Californias actually in progress. Important pathological work has been going on for many months on the walnut blight and extensive and valuable experi­ments are being made on the subject of fertilization for orange trees. Much more work along these lines will be made possible when the scientific, horticultural work in this portion of the state is put on a permanent basis which the appropriation of $30,000 will make possible; but it is gratifying to know that considerable progress is being made in the mean time. In the case of the State farm, however, prac­tically the whole thing is hung up pending the decision as to the location, and it is not strange that the farmers are becoming somewhat impatient. Beware of Ointments for Catarrh that Contain Mercury, as mercury will surely destroy the sense of smell and completely derange the whole system when entering it through the mucous surfaces. Such articles should never be used except on prescriptions from reputable physicians, as the damage they will do is ten fold to the good you can possibly derive from them. Hall's Catarrh Cure, manufactured by F. J. Cheney & Co., Toledo, O... contains no mercury, and is taken internally, acting directly upon the blood and mucous surfaces of the system. In buying Hall's Catarrh Cure be sure you get the genuine. It is taken internally and made in Toledo, Ohio, by F. J. Cheney & Co. Testimontals free. Sold by druggists. Price, 75c per bottle. Take Hall's Family Pills for constipation. Ford’s improved soft-shell walnut trees, the best trees in the market, at Ford’s nursery, on Santa Ana road, three miles south of town. Call and examine stock and prices. jan18tf THEO. FORD Proprietor. Atkin's Barn Paint guaranteed for five years. Especially adapted for building barns, roofs, bridges, fences, etc. Put up in 5 and 1 gallon cans, full measure. 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