Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-08-02

its quality and cOndltlon prove the same
capacity, as it appears to me, for a produc- I
tive cultivation for series of years.
DR.. Enanaons.
Gen. Walter Gwyn, one of the most en-
inent and experienced civil engineers of
the United States, and who, for many years,
has been engaged in the various depart
ments of his calling, in different States of
the Union. has been several times in the |
employment of the Literary Board of North |
Carolina. He has surveyed number of |
its Swamps, and in q report made to the |
Board in 1867, says:
81 am unable to state with precision
what proportion of the State lands, amount |
ing in all to about a million and half of
acres. belongs to the class that comes up to
the standard of Hyde County or Nathan
nskeet lands I feel confident, however,
that it exceeds somewhat fourth, and that
a large proportion Of the remainder, though
falling below this standard, is equal to the
average quality of lands in the country,
known and regarded as good lands
The rest would be valuable as manures
for other lands. and for peat, which has
lately become an article of commerce from
the neighboring swamps OF Virginia"
sIt will be useful to compare the swamp
lands (of North Cardinal with the prairies
of Illinois, whose characteristics have drawn
westward so many emigrants from New
England, New York and the old World
The swamp soil OF North Carolina shows a
greater capacity for endurance than the
prairie soils of Illinois, Notwithstanding
the annual crop is somewhat less per acre
but on the score of location we are unable
to see that the Illinois soils have prefer
ence.
As it regards health, Hyde County is 10
moro subject to chills and fevers than The
| Tlf + g q q
| fact that persons live and labor in 5wamps
with impunity, or freedom from disease. :"
| Dr.. En1neOnS.
All things considered, these lands are
the most desirable in the world they pro-
duce grass and fruits as we'll as the cereals,
are of easy cultivation, and are titled from
generation to generation, without showing
any signs of exhaustion.
! They are generally covered with heavy
and dense growth Of timber, vines, reeds
and grass the soil is from five to fifteen
| feet Deep and consists of decomposed vege-
table matter, fine sand and finely comml-
nuted clay. It produces exuberantly all the
grains, grass, cotton, rice, peas, potatoes,
turnips pumpkins, melons, the garden vege-
tables, apples, peaches and grapes but the
test Of its fertility is it's growth Of Indian
corn, an exhausting crop, which 1t Will
yield in large amounts, from. year to year,
without manureS or stimulantS, and Tor All
indefinite period.
1t will not produce as much per acre as
the heavy clay soils in the highest state OF
improvement ; but, considering the dliler-
ence in the expense of production, the
crops of the former are vastly the more
profitable.
The average yield OF indian corn PEI, acre
without the application of fertilizers OF
stimulants, is from fifty to seycnty-tive
bushels ; and experience has proved that
this will continue from year to year fol
,, more than q century, while science infers
from the facts OF the past and from careful
analyses, that even two centuries OF Close
cultivation will not exhaust the natural anC
ever renewing fertility of these soils.
SECOND. soils, partakinG
somewhat of tho nature of the first class, ane
something, also, of that Of the third.
Swamps Of this character sometimes con
tain highly fertile fringes, or districts, al
ternated with sections Of sandy lands no
productive, or with peaty soils, devoid Q
timber but generally the lands included
: under this head are of medium quality
producing the same growth with those O
: the first, but in less abundance.
They would be regarded as very valuable
but for their proximity to the best soils O
, the world and many Of them are more
peculiarly adapted to wheat and the iine1
| grasses than the lands of the first class
| and their average yield of Indian corn
: which is about twenty-five to forty busbel
pe1, acre, can be cheaply and easily IN
creased by the application of fertilizer
which abound in this region.
They are, like the lands Of the first class
. of very easy tillage and one good appll
cation of the mari, which is found III thi
e to their productiveness for twenty years.
I THIRD.-This class embraces what is usu
: ally known in North Carolina, as Opel
: Ground Swamp, being destitute of wood,
3 growth, not inundated with water, but al
I WAYS saturated with moisture.
The soil consists of organic or undecom
e posed vegetable matter, and not produc
y tive in its present state but when turne'
; up to the sun, acted on by caustic lime
, and packed by cultivation, it becomes L
L many instances very fertile.
), But it is due to say that the processes ne
a cessary to the productiveness of these land
e are not likely to be applied at present IN
e region Astounding in soils that need no IN
n provement except thorough drainage
e and they are now valuable chiefly as vas
@ repositories of peat easily and cheaply OF
;, tanned, and near to water carriage, and q
" exhaustless beds of natures for other SOL
deficient in the element of which they cor
d sist.
OPEN PRAIRIE LANDS.
l. "Some of the swamps are open to mars
4 lands; the surface is usually destitute {
IS timber, covered with coating of moss,
~ a growth of reeds and briars. These ope
Il lands were once, without doubt, clothe
with large and heavy growth OF trees
+, which have, in the course of time, bee
e FRUSTRATED by fire. : : = The mos
q has highly retroactive quality, and almo
n entirely excludes the soil below from tn
J. influence of the sun evaporation goes 0
+ slowly, the ground is kept full OF waite
IS vegetation checked, and what few seeds II
main are so chilled as to destroy germ1n'
=, ton. X x x The soil thrown up Q
J. the banks of drains, made into tho ope
" lands, produces a growth OF bushes an
= weeds of the greatest vigor and luxurianc
r, and the only things requisite to render IL
rs open lands fertile are drainage and cultlv
- ton. The moss which now covers the
a surface, instead of being injurious, Wi
-, with lime dressing, make a coating OF m