RECLAMATION OF TIDE LANDS. 375 



anticipate the changes which will be brought about by the drying of 

 the land on one side and withstanding the attacks of the sea on the 

 other. If the plans are inadequate or the work poorly done, failure 

 will surely follow. 



These difficulties are understood now better than formerly and the 

 owners of these lands or the communities interested in their recla- 

 mation are seeking to avail themselves of all the experience and infor- 

 mation both in engineering and agriculture which can be gathered, and 

 they are making many inquiries of the Department of Agriculture 

 as to how particular projects should be carried out, how dikes and 

 ditches should be planned and built, and the land be made ready for 

 the planting of crops. Some of these inquiries are for information 

 and advice about the organization of communities for the carrpng 

 out of large projects; others have to do with methods for removing 

 the water and the subsequent treatment of small areas. As these 

 lands, taken together, have an aggregate productive area equal to 

 that of agricultural States like Illinois or Missouri, it follows that 

 their successful reclamation and cultivation means an important 

 addition to the national wealth. Many of the attempts to carry out 

 these works have been delayed or have been prevented for the time 

 by a lack of information and lack of confidence on the part of the 

 landowners directly interested. These landowTiers are unmlling to 

 sanction the improvement or contribute to its expense until they can 

 be assured through some authoritative or disinterested source that 

 the reclamation of tide marshes is feasible; that the land when 

 drained will be productive; and that this drainage will not interfere 

 with other industries such as the fisheries along the seacoast bordering 

 the marsh lands. They wish to have some knowledge regarding the 

 kind of dikes needed for protection from the sea and the kind of drains 

 and pumps needed to put the land in proper condition for cultivation 

 after the inflowing tides have been cut off. In order to answer these 

 questions definitely and properly the Office of Experiment Stations 

 commenced during the last year an extensive investigation to deter- 

 mine the areas of tide marsh land capable of being drained, the meth- 

 ods to be followed to insure success, and the relative measures of the 

 cost and the benefits to come from this work. This paper is in the 

 nature of a preliminary report on this investigation. Later on it is 

 intended to prepare for publication a report giving more definitely 

 the area susceptible of such reclamation, the measure of the benefits 

 to agriculture which will come from their improvement, and more 

 definite and detailed instruction regarding the methods which should 

 be followed in carrying out this work. 



