THE VALUE OF RECLAIMED LANDS. 57 



sary for this swamp land to be drained and put to propef use. Its nearness to market 

 and its great fertility make it very desirable for small farms. 



Can these lands be drained, what will it cost, and how can the work best be done 

 are questions of vital interest to the American people. After considering what has 

 been done to reclaim the marshes of Holland, two-fifths of which lie below the level 

 of the sea, and the difficulties that have been overcome in draining the fens of England, 

 it would be a reflection on the skill and intelligence of the American engineer to pro- 

 claim the drainage of our swamp lands impossible. On the contrary, the engineering 

 problems are simple, as most of these lands are several feet above sea level and have 

 natural creeks or bayous that need only to be improved by straightening, widening, 

 and deepening to afford outlets for complete drainage. In case of some of the river 

 bottoms and the salt marsh along the coast it is necessary to build levees to prevent over- 

 flow and to construct Internal systems of drainage with sluice gates or pumps to dis- 

 charge the water from within, and by the use of modern machinery this work is neither 

 difficult nor expensive. Levees can be built and ditches excavated with suitable 

 dredges at a cost ranging from 7 to 16 cents per cubic yard. Large works in swamps 

 where the land is overflowed are readily and cheaply constructed in this manner. 



As to the cost of draining these lands, and whether or not it will pay, we have but to 

 refer to the numerous works of this kind that have been completed. In those States 

 where large areas of swamp land have been thoroughly drained by open ditches and 

 tile drains the cost ranges from $6 to $20 per acre, while in places where tile drainage 

 was not required the average cost has not exceeded $4 per acre. Judging from the 

 prices which prevail in a large number of these districts where work of this kind is 

 being carried on, it is safe to estimate that the 77,000,000 acres of swamp can be 

 thoroughly drained and made fit for cultivation at an average cost of $15 per acre. 

 The market value of these lands in their present shape ranges from $2 to $20 per acre, 

 depending upon the location and prospect of immediate drainage, with an average 

 of probably $8 per acre. Similar lands in different sections of the country that have 

 been drained sell readily at $60 to $100 per acre at the completion of the work, and in 

 many instances, when situated near large cities, they have sold as high as $400 per 

 acre. To determine whether or not it will pay to drain these lands we have but to 

 consider the following figures: 

 Cash value of 77,000,000 acres after thorough drainage, at $60 per acre. $4, 620, 000, 000 



Present value of this land , at $8 per acre $616, 000, 000 



Cost of drainage, at $15 per acre 1, 155, 000, 000 



Value of land and cost of draining 1, 771, 000, 000 



Net increase in value 2, 849, 000, 000 



These figures, though large, are not fanciful, but are based on results obtained in 

 actual practice in different sections of the country where work of this kind has been 

 done. An extended investigation shows that in every case where a complete system 

 of drainage has been planned and carried out the land has increased in value many 

 fold. In some instances, however, much time and money have been wasted because 

 the work was undertaken without any well-defined plan or it was not sufficient to 

 afford adequate and complete drainage. 



The reclamation of swamp and overflowed lands is no longer an experiment; it has 

 become a highly profitable business when based on correct principles. The methods 

 of drainage practiced in different parts of this country and in some of the foreign 

 countries are being carefully considered, and many experiments are being made to 

 determine the best and most economical methods of draining land, and the information 

 thus collected is being classified and the results compared and general rules deduced 

 which, if followed, will in all cases bring highly beneficial results. The comparative 

 cost of the different methods of doing the work and the most satisfactory way of pro- 

 viding funds are also being duly considered. 



