Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-05-18
Reclaiming Swamp Lands.

New England CultivatOrs. No subject connected
with farming more properly occupy the thoughts
of the farmer, who has such land still unreclamed
upon his farm. The frequent droughts to which We
are subjected, teaching to set higher value
| upon lands, than we have hitherto done. Expert
ence is showing that they the most productive
and the most reliable lands which we cultivate 1t
was formerly supposed that potatoes grown upon
such lands more liable 10 disease, than those
grown upon upands. But think the experience Of
the last two years has shown that potatoes grown
upon peat lands are as little liable TO rot as those
grown upon any kind of soil whatever, while the
yield was much larger than upon any other SOIL
One of my neighbors, the past season, realized a
clear profit of ninety dollars from peat
swamp cultivated in potatoes, which three years ago
would not have sold for twenty dollars an acre.
Now the land is worth hundred dollars per acre.
One of the finest pieces of reclaimed land which
have is situated the centre of Carlisle, on
the road from Concord 10 Lowell think it contains
not less than twenty acres. few years ago. 1T was
an unsighly swamp, filed with stumps, hassocks
and bushes. The water stood upon large portion
OF it most of the year It was the favorie resort of
bultrOgs and tories. The b}ueberres were the only
product of any value that it yielded. The pleasant
memory associated with it is the song of the black
birds that sported and whistled around it's margin
the spring time. By skiful and indefatgabe labor,
it has been converted into of the most level and
beautiful meadows to be found in Massachusetts.
1t always rivits my attention when pass by it, and
don't cease to look at it while any portion of it iS
AL SASh0. lululeHSe QudHuGeS OI nave oecH cA-
tracted from it, which have been used for fuel Its
surface has been smoothed by the bog hoe and the
plow. 1t has been dressed with compost of barn
manure and gravel mixed together upon its margin.
Small portions of 1t have been reclaimed annually in
this way, principally by the labor of the owners,
until it has now been converted from an offensive
blotch upon the bosom of mother earth, into spot
of beauty, that delights the eye of every beholder
have been Informed that portion of it cultivated
the two past years in potatoes, yielded clear profit
OF SlGU Most of it and Yields
from two to three tons per acre of fine hay. This
land, a few years ago. was not worth $40 per acre,
now it is worth 5000. The secret by which $500
has thus been converted into $4,000 is thorough drain
ing. The fuel which the owners have taken from
this swamp, and the potatoes which they have grown
upon its surface, have paid them for their labor
from year to year, and now they have valuable
estate which will continue to yield them large crops,
with but little expense in lis cultivation. How
could they have made more profitable investment
than this But they did not invest money. They
have created this property by their own labors and
the proper question IS in what way could they have
employed their labor more proftably. The effect
produced upon such lands by draining is truly
tonlshng. There are several reasons by which the
beneficial effects of draining may be accounted for.
But we shall speak of only one of these reasons at
present
Draining elevaes the temperature of the soil many
degrees, and thereby fits it to yield vigorous growth
to plants, which before refused altogether to grow
upon it. When soil is saturated with water, the
most intense heat of the raise its tempera-
ture but very little If you place kettle filed with
water over the fire, the temperature of the water will
rise rapidly until it reaches 2l2 degrees The water
then begins to be converted into steam. You may
continue to add fuel and apply the bellows, but the
water grows no hotter. All the caoric added is
dered latent in the change of form which the water
undergoes. In other words the caore is carried off
by the steam as fast as it is impaired to the water.
Steam IS water combined with certain amount of
caIonc. Abstract this caoric from steam, and it
becomes water again So the heat of the sun poured
upon wet soil, is employed in converting portion
OF the water into vapo and is conveyed away by the
Vapor, just as the heat of the fire is carried away
from the water by the steam. Thus the temperature
OF the soil of the swamp filled with water, is several
degrees lower than that Of the soil at the adjacent
dry land, and you cannot by any possibility raise the
temperature of this soil until the water is evaporated
from 1t. When the water in the kettle is all con-
verted into steam, you may heat the kettle to red
heat. so when the swampy soil is freed from water,
the heat of the sun will warm it equally with ad ia
cent lands and indeed lis temperature will often be
found higher than that of other lands for it's black
carhonaceous soil absorbs calorc rapidly than
brighter coored soils. Thus the first effect of drain
ing is to prepare the soil to be warmed by the sun.
1t is equivalent transporting it many degrees south
INTO more genial cline. 1t is the first step in the
redemption of such soils all other means without
| this will be of avail. You may level and plow
and topdress, and sow grass seeds. But it will
santly tend to return to its natural state. Meadow
|
grass and clover constantly dying out because the
soil is not warm enough TO produce any other kind
| OF grass Many sWamps and meadows overie
stratum of sand, or hard pan. The draining should,
it possible, be sufficiently deep, to carry Oft the water
from the whole depth of everything soil. Whether
the water is carried off only to the depth of few
inches and the soil is left wet and muddy below this,
the water is drawn up by capillary attraction TO the
surface and the process of evaporation is then kept
up, to such degree that the temperature is not
sufficiently elevated TO afford the needed stimulus to
the roots of plants Hence the object aimed at is
not attained. Deep draining, that shall free the
whole soil from sagnant water is the only draining
that can be etfectual, that is worth attempting
In many instances border draining that shall cut off
the spring water from the surrounding highlands is
the only eftctual method. But enough for once.
Fol. DE RoE," we have no doubt, will be the en-
phatic comment OF many of our readers, says the
f Portland Daily Advertiser they finish the matri
monia protest of Lucy Stone unless they prefer tc
bring up from the ''pure well Of English undehled'
n the simpler ephet, FudgeF Either of them will
e form good and accurate criticism as the nature
: of the Circumstance requires. Who Lucy Ston
S and Henry B. Blackwell that they cart be married
0 in the simple, confding honest way of our father
r and mothers What serpent has opened their eye
to see good and evil' which have escaped the ken
= all cur common law expOunders! And what kind 0
a marriage is this quitclam agreement, with its pro
d test equally against law custom and sense 1t
e. superb nonsense all round. But there- the pare
y enjoy it, 1T is ust as well for them Only we hop
m such arrangements won't spread under the sacre
name of marriage. Had il come off within ed
a. oral diocese, should have chronlcled it thu
is (Which we give to let our young folks whether
RS lOoks any better than the old fashioned form y
e. STONE s. BLACKWELL.
The subscribers have this day entered into distint
n agreements for carrying the matrimonial, domef
tic and reformatory business N B-No trust-a
Il 10 trus 9TH