BIG SPRING PRAIRIE. 27 



ing into the old lake bed. The third ditch extended from 

 the vicinity of New Road No. 1 chiefly along the west- 

 ern portion of prairie, then along southern border, and 

 emptied into Spring Run as at present. A number of 

 lateral ditches draining into these were dug. As a re- 

 sult of this drainage, portions of the prairie became fit 

 for cultivation, other portions formed excellent pasture 

 lands. 



\ 



?:^^g-;igas?»v:.r,-<y.,iii«s ', :- ^v, x. i;'^-^. :-m, 



Fig. ].— BowIjDee Showing Settling of Soil, 



Although the drainage ditches were occasionally 

 cleaned out and deepened, in the course of years, the 

 area began to revert to the marsh type. The flow of 

 the water became more and more sluggish. It was 

 found necessary to abandon some of the cultivated por- 

 tion as it could no longer be properly drained. An un- 

 looked for result had occurred. The general level of 

 the drained portion of the prairie was lowered to such 



