Tielrodepolder

Massart's photo shows the Tielrodepolder along the left bank of the Durme. The dike is planted with walnut trees (Juglans regia) and far left a well-developed outer dike reed fringe can be seen. This region has repeatedly fallen victim to severe flooding, including in 1906, 1928, 1936, and 1953. The flood of 1936 left fields and meadows submerged for months, and even special help had to be requested from the government to combat this emergency. As can be seen at the back of the photo, as a result, a concentration of habitation emerged on the steeper and higher southern edge of the cuesta of Waasland. The very flat alluvium in the foreground is occupied by hay meadows. These flood meadows flooded at high tide and were drained at low tide. In the winter months, when the meadow was resting, they were repeatedly inundated. The rich silt, which was also called muscle, settled on the meadows. Seven days before Massart's recording, this area flooded, causing a fine layer of silt to cover the grasses. In this way, not only was the sod fertilized, but it was also grounded so that the grass tufts received new shoots. This kept the meadow 'young' and gave it the appearance of a dense, even carpet. In the summer after mowing, the soil could also be irrigated for several nights, thanks to the ebb and flow. In this way, the second crop was promoted. Thanks to these regular, intentional floods, these river meadows had a high yield.

(Source: Recollecting Landscapes)

Dromos