THE GLEANERS 89 



such work is a public function and deserves 

 the aid of the States. Tracts as small as 3,000 

 acres have been drained profitably, but, in 

 general, it has been found that the cost per 

 acre is lower in proportion to the size of the 

 tract, and 10,000 acres has been adopted as 

 the most economical unit. As to the cost of 

 reclamation, the following paragraph from 

 Bulletin 243, Office of Experiment Stations, 

 "Land Drainage by Means of Pumps," gives 

 a definite statement of the experience of these 

 Middle West farmers who were the pioneers 

 of the reclamation movement: 



"Experience along the Illinois River shows 

 that the first cost of the general district drain- 

 age improvements, including ditches, levees, 

 and pumping plants, has varied between $15 

 and $30 an acre. All of the cheapest pro- 

 jects have now (1911) been developed; how- 

 ever, there is a growing tendency to under- 

 take the reclamation of more expensive dis- 

 tricts in which the cost may exceed by $10 

 or $20 per acre the amount just stated. The 

 cost of clearing the land and field drainage 

 may be between $5 and $20 an acre. Hence, 

 in places, the total cost for putting the land 

 into profitable productive condition may be as 

 high as $50 an acre. Such land is then worth 



