The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-08-23


such an extent as to prevent the flow
of the water, which is held spell
bound, as it were.
There is evidence that water has ac-
cumulated in these pocosins until it's
quantity has become SO great that it
has broken away, and flowed like an
immense tidal wave over week after
any rain. These pocosins being such
formidable barriers to the construc-
ton of roads that they isolate very val
liable sections of country, outside of
the pocosins themselves, that would
long ago have developed and settled, if
good direct roads had have been posSi-
BILE at an ordinary cost.
PLANTS AND WOODS OF THE SEMI
TROPICAL AREA
In the semi-tropical area nearly all
the hard woods are found, all the tim
Der oaks, the live, evergreen, white,
red, black water and turkey oaks. The
ash, poplar, gums, mulberry, lime,
blackberry, hornbeam, maple, hickory,
birch, holly, elm and the supelO and
cottonwood of the lower Mississippi.
In some sections there are large bodies
Of cork gum known as "tasteless
wood, very valuable for packing boxes
for bread, cakes and candies, and is
similar to the Mississippi bottom gum
used in st. Louis for packing crackers
| for shipment to India.
/ In the sWamps naples are found
| three feet through. and holly from 90
| to RI inches, and sweet gum from g to
feet, and occasionally there are found
swamp pines from to feet in dame
| ter The great variety OF woods is
| e,,1 I'll 81
| Wilmington, by locating a square of
four acres in Bladen county, taking a
| part in mud swamp, second bottom
| land, hillside and pinewoods, procured
| SO kinds of woods inside Of this four
acre square. In this section there are
probably the largest bodies of cypress
timber to be found this side of the
| lower Mississippi In the two counties
! OF Dup1in and Fender alone there is
supposed to be at least sixty miles of
this kind of timber that is so valuable,
and vet, all this great mine of wealth
is almost literally hermetically sealed
to the outer world by reason OF the
overfows and the perpetual miry CON
dition OF the swamps, although so cas-
| lily reached by little labor and effort.
COMMERCIAL AND MEDICINAL
PLANTS.
Mention has already been made of
some of the semi-tropical trees, plants,
and shrubs that are found here There
is also found great number Of very
valuable medical plants, and consider
| able quantities Of the wild vanilla or
deer-tongue that is used not only for
| fiavoring tobacco, but the leaf is used
in part as a substitute for the tobacco
| itself, is also shipped
THE YELLOW JESSAMINE.
The yellow jessamine, from which
the noted geiseminum Of the druggist
! is procured, is found in abundance.
| There is a remarkable vine, the creep
| ing whortleberry (viccinium crassifo-
lium) that has the flower and fruit OF
the whortleberry shrub, although a
vine, and is evergreen. This plant is
one OF the most powerful diuretics
! known, but can be administered to the
| patient in quantity without danger
! las its action is mild and profusel, and
many wonderful cures Of dropsy have
/ been made by the use OF this plant
| The late DR.. f. A. Anderson, of vii
mington, first used this plant in the
practice OF medicine; but now some Of
| the largest druggists in the United
/ States are using an extract from this
plant in a preparation for dropsy. But
the greatest benefit is probably gained
/ by using an infusion from the plant
in the form OF q tea The medical vir-
tue of this plant corresponds with that
of buchn, and could very properly be
termed North Carolina buchu.
/ AMERICAN OLIVE.
{ In 1907 F. A. Michaux, the noted
| botanist, discovered the American
Olive on the gulf coast of Alabama and
| Florida, deeming it not possible for it
to be found further north; but here in
! the semi-tropical area it is in many
places a very common tree. Tt was
| first discovered in this section by Dr.
Curtis
YQUPON, OR TEA PLANT.
The North Carolina tea plant you
POM is found along the seacoast. Tt
has the theme Of the China tea (John-
SOM. This plant perhaps surpasses all
known plants for living hedges. The
writer has seen hedges Of it for nearly
half a century old on the Gulf coast
1T is easily propagated from the seed.
In some neighborhoods Of Eastern
North Carolina this plant attained.
I EttDA " tiIC 1ACfOlQliOHd1N " al COioitl-
cradle political prominence.
After the tea tax the Wings grew the
youpon, while the Tories affected its
destruction with as much earnestness
as the Wings did that of English
(China) tea.
ORCHIDS.
There are great varieties Of the or
enid family found growing here,
among which may be mentioned a tree
| orchid (air plant), having a beautiful
wax flower, and similar to those found
in Florida. But in Holly Shelter POGO
sin there grows perhaps one OF the
most wonderful plants to be found on
the North American continent.
FOATING VINE WITHOUT A LEAF.
1t is floating vine without leaf. In
August this vine produces blooms on
an erect stem above the water. The
| flower itself is the exact image of a