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Show METHOD IN BELGIUM State Helps Municipalities and Private Owners. Financial Aid In Constructing Irrigation Irriga-tion Projects Is Equal to About Half the Expense Value of Drained Lands. No aid Is extended by the Belgian government for the Improvement of marsh lands west of the Sambre and Meuse rivers, for the reason that these lands are better than those In the higher parts of Helglum and that the drainage is of great Importance, for cultivation, to the landowners. The slate grants no subsidies for the canalization executed for Irrigation In the sandy plains of the Camplnes rg-Ion, rg-Ion, north of the provinces of Antwerp Ant-werp and Llmburg, but allows private parties to take water supplies from the navigable canal called the Junction Junc-tion canal of the Meuae and Schelt rivers, says the Breeders Gazette. The marshy and wet lands of a certain cer-tain area (about 74 2 acres) and above, whose sanitary conditions have been Improved by drainage (ditches or pipes are nearly all united in "Wat-erirgue." "Wat-erirgue." This Is a legally recognised association of landowners interested In the work of drying and Irrigating their lands. The waterlnguea In the valleys of the navigable rivers are placed under the supervision of the ministry of public works, while those In the vallrys of unnavlgable streams are under the ministry of agriculture. Concerning the last-mentioned, the state does not execute the irrigation work, but helps the municipalities and Interested owners' associations (water-lngues) (water-lngues) granting them subsidies and also lending them the services of the staff of the agricultural hydraulic administration ad-ministration for the study of projects, also for the direction and supervision of work. Subsidies are only granted for dralnnge of lands of little value for Improving sanitary conditions, when necessary for the general health of the country, In view of suppressing fogs and for the Interest of agriculture. The subsidies are granted by the government gov-ernment In full ownership and are not to be repaid. 1 here is no general law defining the aid which the government may extend to provinces, municipalities, to districts, dis-tricts, to corporations, or to private parties for the execution of f, which are to be of more thnn j benefit The state takes charge of tile total expenses for the construction of such works as are planned' and constructed con-structed by the ministry of agriculture. agricul-ture. The mission of the government agents ends as soon as the drainage work Is accomplished, these agents only supervising the work. ThJyi mediate supervision of the work" uTc" preservation, the maneuvering of sluices. Intakes of water, etc., are un-det un-det the care of the waterltagues If the lands belong to private owners united , In association, and under the care of ; communal administrations If the lands belong to communes. The flnreM aid i of the state in works of th' Is generally equal to half the expenses" The government also lends gratuitously gratuitous-ly the services of Its staff for the ; study of projects as well as for the direction di-rection and supervision of work. The largest marsh lands which have been drained In the higher part of Belgium do not measure more than 247.4 acres each. These drained lands extend all over the territories of the provinces of Namur and Luxemburg, principally In the latter. Most of the drained lands belong to private parties, soma to communes, but none to the stats The value of marsh lands after drainage drain-age Is double to triple the value of the lands before the work was accomplished. |