Smyrna times., 1892-06-01
THE DISMAL SWAMP.
A GLOOMY REGION INHABITED BY
WILD ANIMALS.

The Dismal Swamp in Virginia. one
of the largest of the swampy tracts in
America, is also one of the most prom
ising areas for reclamation. II contains
fully fifteen hundred squire miles. and
at present of little value, except for
supply of timber which is constantly
diminishing. The swamp is situated
on an inclined plane, gently undula-
ting, and is really nothing but a con-
tinuatiOn of the low. swampy, coastal
plain, which extends from Texas north
ward. 1t is an old sea-bottom, and the
western boundary of the swamp is a
sea-cliff and beach. Owing to the orig
inal deficiency of slope its swanpy
nature is increased by the growth of
vegetation which acts like a sponge in
retaining water.
Near the centre of the swamp is the
famous Lake Drummond, about which
so much has been written, and the
origin of which is still an unsettled
question. 1t has been supposed that
during some time of drought fire,
burning the peat, has produced large
depression in which the waters of the
lake were gathered. Prof. Shaler, of
the United States geographical survey,
considers this explanation to be i'm
probable, although smaller pools have
been produced in this way. He offers
as theory that as the vegetation
grew upon the old sea bottom, which
mad been raised to dry land, it began
to extend over the entire area, Lake
Drummond being the last place to be
filled. One of the most interesting
features connected with the Dismal
Swamp Is its peculiar vegetation.
Trees generally cannot grow in the
very swampy tracts for their roots
need to have access to the air during
the growing season. The bald cypress
(TaXodIum distichum) under ordinary
conditions differs in no way from an
ordinary tree with respect to its roots.
but in sWamps such as the dismal
where the roots are beneath water all
the year, it has formed the habit of
sending a knee-like protuberance from
the roots up above the water in the
air breathing holes one might say for
the roots. In this way the cypress can
live in very wet swamps. The black
gum of the Dismal Swamp accomplish
es the same end by arching its roots
so as to raise portions of them above
water
As would be expected the animal
life OF this great swamp is also peculiar.
No squirrels exist because there are
no nuts; grouud-loving animals are
also absent on account of the extreme
wetness, so that there are no mice
mOles, squirrels or other animals OF
this class. Birds which build on the
ground cannot live here, and the chief
animal population of the higher classes
consist of water birds and snakes. OF
the larger animals bears are abundant,
and there is peculiar and very ferO
ciOus species of wild horned cattle.
The animals, probably the descendants
of former dOmesticated cattle, are now
thoroughly wild and very dangerous.
The fights of the wild bulls are said to
be very exciting by those who have
seen them, and in the contests between
the bears and bulls both are sometimes
killed. 1t is said that the bear in order
to escape the danger from the horns of
the cattle, have a habit of springing
upon their backs and rending the
muscles which support the heads of
their prey.
This region is in part wilderness,
but some efforts have been made to
drain it, though these have been in the
main unsystematic and unscientifc,
and have produced little result of value
Prof. Shaler estimates that by proper
system of draining this great swamp,
fully one hundred and sixty thousand
acres of land can be reclaimed at cost
of tour million dollars, making the land
| worth sixteen million dollars. The
region is very favOrably situated for
cultivating and marketing garden
crops. Experiments already made
prove the soil aud climate admirably
adopted to the cultivation of vegeta-
bles. The Norfolk district, where a
costly system of fertilizing is necessary,
now furnishes large part of the sup
ply of such crops to from four to five
million people along the northern
coast, and the demand is sure to in
crease. The drainage channels could
furnish water transportation to within
one mile of the titled area and thence
to the sea-. Ralph, in american Ag
ricUlturiSt.