Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-08-02
From the Raleigh Sentinel
The swamp Lands of North Carolina

tude.
They lie chiefly in the counties of Beau
fort, HYDE, Washington, Tyrrell, Craven,
Carteret, Onslow, Jones, Brunswick, New
Hanover, Columbus, Cumberland, Bladen,
Robson and Richmond !; and all these
counties are accessible to market by water
or railroad carriage. ;,
These lands are offered for sale on the
most liberal terms, especially to actual set
Tiers and they present inducements to I'M
migrants and capitalists, rarely to be met
with.
The Board of Literature will give alter
nate sections Of six hundred and forty
acres each, to parties who will drain bodies
of these lands ; and when whole swam3
can be disposed Of at one sale, they VIII
take price less than the cash value OF the
timber with which some Of the lands are
clothed.
GENERAL, DESCRIPTION.
The term .Stcemp is applied in North
Carolina to low, wet and spongy lands unfit
for cultivation without thorough drainage.
The statute meaning Of the term is a large
body of such laId; and it is applied to dis
tricts in the alluvial regions Of the State
not affected by tide or salt water, and IN
cludes swamps proper, marshes, and sheets
of water that can be drained.
Rome
ers are found within the swamps and occu-
Dving their highest points; and all of these
lands are susceptible of thorough drain
age. the expense per acre being much less
where large bodies are drained by one sys-
| tenn of canals This is one main reason
why many of these lands have not hitherto
been improved; for the sWamps are too large
| fOr single prODrietOr6 and the cost per acre
! OF draining d single plantation, OF mode
rate size, would generally be more than
! three times that OF draining an entire dis
! tTict.
| The lands are all level, and, being allu-
/ vial, are free OF stones and pebbles, and,
when improved, Of very easy Il age
SPECIFIC QUALITIES
I The swamp lands described above may
/ be divided, with reference to soil, produc-
ton and value, into three general classes.
FIRsr-The very fertile, Of which the
! improved lands OF Hyde county are the
general type, and for Il scientific descrlp-
ton of which, Of the highest authority, the
reader is referred to the following extracts
from reports, &c.
SWAMP LANDS OF THE HYDE COUNTY TYPE
SCIENTIFIC AUTHORITY.
The late Z. Emmons, Ii. D., formerly
. C~AlN
well and fav0rably known to the scientific
world, was, at the time of his death, ano
for wears before had been, State Geologis
Of North Carolina.
Ire examined with much care the agri-
cultural characteristics Of the swamp re
eion Of North Carolina, subjecting the
soils to a thorough analysis, and person
ally inspecting their cultivation and pro
ductiOE.
From an elaborate report made iii 1858
the following extracts are taken
g Maize Indian CORN must be ranked
amongst the most eXhausting crops; ant
il is evident that poor soils will scarcely re
pay the farmer for its cultivation. =
While it must be admitted that maize is al
exhausting crop, it is equally clear ano
conclusive that it is one of the most i'm
portant and valuable, and hence it may bC
regarded as one which pays the best. :
The foregoing remarks respecting The
maize crop have been made in consequence
of the peculiar adaptation of the soil 0
) HYDE county to this cereal. 1t is the gran
arv of the South. It is true that the mum
Der of bushels per acre which constitute
, the average crop is less than the numbe
frequently made on other kinds Of soil
Thus, a hundred bushels of corn may b.
grown upon an acre. but the Hyde count
soils rarely exceed sixty bushels per acre
but from fifty to sixty bushels are grown
} annually, per- acre for an indefinite term O
/ years, without the expense of fertilizers
: while the heavy premium crops require
great expenditure on them and thes
: have to be repeated, in order to keep tn
ground in good condition and hence, Il
the long term of years, the profits Of thes
rich lands greatly exceed those which ar
only moderately SO, naturally, and require
2 every few years, an instalment OF manure
, Report Of 1858, pages 2Sth, Goth.
, 'The Hyde County soils have acquired
: deservedly high reputation.
5 Some tracts have been cultivated over
century, and the crops appear to be equa
/ !y as good as they were at an early perlo
f of their culture and yet no manure ia
+ been employed, and they have been unde
, culture in Indian corn every year, OF wins
, would be equivalent thereto.
/ In accomplishing the object Of my vlsl
= 7 was ably seconded by Dr.. Long OF LAX
i Landing, who has become the owner OF
i tract which has borne this crop, india
n conn., for one hundred years without MI
S nures It does not seem to have deter1o1
t ated by this long cultivation OF the croI
e do not sho,c a perceptible falling off still
n there has been Il large consumption Of IN;
S terials during the one hundred years of Gu
) tivation, which may be made to appear b
n analysis.
e The great supply of nutriment, howeve
: still holds out, and the one hundred veal
5, to come, if subjected to no greater drall
0 upon its magazine of food, will, at such
y distant PERIOD continue to produce its te
If or twelve barrels of corn to the acre. "
n bid, pages 1871.
''In Onslow, the White Oak Desert
l. the most interesting tract OF swamp la.
: in the County, and is at the head of VIII
J. Oak Creek This tract may be drained i
e to Trent River. The timber is very larg
If and consists Of white oak, poplar al
is pine.
II The most important work which has be-
= undertaken, is the drainage of part
is this tract by Mr.. Franck. He has been ab
or to secure two objects, the drainage of Il
G. land, and good water power, with II
i'll OF about twelve feet.
e. The thickness Of the soil in Mr.. Erancl
y pocosin Swamp is five feet towards Il
outer rim, and still thicker towards Il
u middle, attaining at least ten feet of III
sr- soil