'58 BULLETIN 71, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



drought better than those on the older sandy-land plantations, as the muck is 

 more retentive of moisture. 



TREATMENT OF LAND AND CROPS. 



In general the water was lowered as rapidly as possible on these marsh- 

 lands when they were first reclaimed. The lateral ditches were then con- 

 structed and complete drainage of the soil obtained. Xo trouble has been 

 experienced from too rapid drainage. Although the muck often is covered with 

 a very tough sod, and is itself often turfy in character, it is full of muskrat 

 holes, and as it dries and shrinks during drainage a great number of cracks 

 open that reach to the underlying soft mud. This has made it impossible in a 

 great many cases to do the first work of plowing with ordinary farm animals 

 and machinery. The land usually is plowed the first time with a set of gang 

 plows drawn by some form of mechanical tractor. (See PI. II, fig. 2.) It is 

 necessary that the tractor be mounted on very wide wheels, and the substitu- 

 tion of apron traction for wheels has been made very successfully. Plowing 

 has been done with these tractors on land that is too soft to bear farm ani- 

 mals. The heavy growth of prairie grass must first be removed. Usually the 

 first plowing is done in the winter months when the grass can be burned off 

 closely. A set of gang plows fastened to a frame hinged directly to the tractor 

 frame has worked most successfully. After one thorough plowing of the 

 ground with a gang plow the holes and cracks are so completely filled that 

 ordinarily no trouble is thereafter experienced in using farm animals if the 

 tract has been well drained during this period. It is very essential during 

 the first few years of drainage that the water table be held at a good depth 

 to allow the soft subsoil to solidify. This involves deep winter drainage, as 

 well as during the growing season. 



Usually the first crop planted is corn, and it is frequently drilled in by a 

 separate drill attachment at the time of the first plowing. Sometimes this first 

 crop makes a yield of 30 bushels to the acre without further cultivation. One 

 plowing, however, does not kill the original growth of prairie grass. In fact, 

 if the ground is once plowed the growth of prairie grass the next year will be 

 more uniform and luxuriant than it was before. Intensive cultivation for the 

 first few years is necessary, although in growing cane and corn no trouble 

 is experienced after the crop has reached a height of 3 or 4 feet. As truck 

 crops usually are cultivated very intensively, no great trouble is experienced 

 in keeping down the growth of grass. After the growth of the first crop of corn 

 the land is replanted to corn, cane, or truck crops. The soil seems to be suit- 

 able for almost any kind of truck, and excellent yields are harvested. Some 

 40 to 60 bushels of corn to the acre have been successfully grown, and the yield 

 of cane varies from 25 to 40 tons to the acre. 



Where the original surface of the soil was covered with a growth of cypress 

 timber a large additional expense must be incurred in bringing the land into 

 cultivation. The expense of clearing cypress land ranges from $30 to as high 

 as $100 an acre, depending on the character of the growth. In certain sections 

 of the prairie lands a very heavy growth of submerged stumps is found, and 

 after the land has been drained for a year or two the shrinkage of the muck 

 soil will bring these stumps to the surface. They will then interfere with 

 cultivation very greatly and necessitate a large expenditure for removal. 



FINANCIAL. 



In its original state much of the prairie land is worthless, its only usefulness 

 being in that it serves as a trapping and hunting ground. Its present market 



