EECLAIMI]N"G OVEEFLOWED LANDS IN MISSISSIPPI. 5 



As in most of the Southern States, cotton is the principal agricul- 

 tural product, its acreage exceeding that of all other crops combined. 

 Next to cotton, corn is the most important crop, although the pro- 

 duction scarcely meets the local demand. Oats, cowpeas, and sugar 

 cane are all grown to a limited extent, but are gradually increasing 

 in acreage. In the vicinity of Durant the trucking industry has been 

 developed to some extent, considerable quantities of strawberries, 

 cabbage, peas, beans, etc., being profitably grown. The planters are 

 becoming interested in live stock and small quantities of lespedeza 

 and alfalfa are being planted. The injurious effect of the boll weevil 

 on cotton has led more toward diversified cropping during the last 

 five years. 



TEANSPORTATION FACILITIES. 



Several railway lines traverse various portions of the district. At 

 each of the larger towns bordermg the district and at one or two 

 other points public highways are maintained across the bottoms. In 

 all cases where any attempt is made to promote traffic during the 

 winter months the cost of maintenance is very great, and even then 

 many of the roads are impassable during the winter and spring sea- 

 sons. Drainage improvements will, to a large extent, remedy these 



conditions. 



PRESENT DRAINAGE CONDITIONS. 



Under present conditions a heavy rainstorm, lasting from two to 

 three days and extenchng over the entire watershed of the Big Black 

 River, will cause a severe flood, covering from 75 to 100 per cent of 

 the bottom lands to a depth of from 3 to 8 feet. Unusually heavy 

 local rains, although extending over only a small part of the water- 

 shed, will often cause floods over the adjoining bottoms below the 

 area afi^ected by the storm. Floods occur most frequently during 

 the winter and spring seasons, the water often covering the lowlands 

 for a month at a time. From May to November overflows are less 

 frequent, although several ruinous summer and fall floods have 

 occurred. Thus there is great risk in planting crops on the lower 

 land, and it is not entirely safe to plant on the more elevated por- 

 tions of the bottom. So often have losses been sustained that it is 

 now difficult to find anyone who will finance the working of the land. 



Throughout the district the bottom lands of the streams tributary 

 to the river arc overflowed at all seasons of the year to a depth of 

 from 1 to 3 foot. In the smaller creeks, from 1 mile to 8 or 10 miles 

 in length, the overflow usually starts a short time aftei* a heavy rain 

 begins, and continues from four to Ave hours after the rain ceases. 

 On a(;c(Hint of their more extensive watersheds the lowlands along 

 the larg(!r tributaries, such as Bywy, Apookta, and Doaks Creeks, are 

 flooded fr-oni one; to two days after each severe storm that lasts a day 

 or more. 



