The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-01-17
GREAT DISMAL SWAMP.
Luxuriant in Plant Life and Astounding
in Animal Life.

Few regions III America are more
adorned by nature or more interesting
to the tourist and scientist than the
Dismal swamp Of Virginia and North
Carolina. Though the entire region
may present dismal appearance in
winter and some parts Of il in all sea
sons, the swamp is annually visited by
many pleasure seekers and has long
been place of study and absorbing in
terest to the geologist, the botanist,
and the zoologist. 1t lies in the coastal
plain Of southeastern Virginia and
northeastern North Carolina. Most Of
the surface consists of recently formed
peat, the residuum resulting from the
arrested decomposition of vegetation,
but the underlying rocks are older and
record events that occurred thousands
Of years ago, in the Pleistocene epoch.
The peat ranges in depth from one to
20 feet. Contrary to popular belief
this peat has aptiseptic and preserva-
tive properties, and consequently much
of the surface water is pure. Though
no remains of primitive man or Of ex-
tinet animals like those uncovered in
the bogs of Ireland have been found IN
the Dismal swamp, the peat contains
many well preserved trunks Of cypress
trees that lived long before America
was settled by orr ancestors.
The region may be readily reached
from Norfolk by canals, whose banks,
shaded by stately trees and graceful
vines, afford an ever-changing scene
from the deck of the little steamer
that daily plies their waters. When
the swamp was young it was entirely
covered by water, but much Of the
water has drained off through these
canals, and large areas are now dry. In
the center is picturesque body Of wa
ter called Lake Drummond, the origin
of which is q mooted question Ae.
cording TO the most plausible hypothe-
sis that has been advanced, it is the
remnant Of large body Of deep water
| which once covered the entire region.
The water in this lake, because OF its
remarkable keeping property, was used
| Ia earlier wears for drinking on trans
Atlantic voyages. 1t is amber colored
and is known locally as Juniper wa
| ter" As this name implies, the pc
culiar color has been ascribed TO the
bark Of the white cedar tjuniperl
which abounds in the swamp. 1t seems
more likely, however, that this color
Is given to the water by its finely di-
yided vegeta content or by the dye
extracted from the brown peat.
Luxuriant Plant Life.
| The Dismal swamp lies at the june.
ton Of the deciduous and coniferous
forest regions of the eastern part OF
| the United States. It's fora comprises
plants of many varieties and is inter
esting because it shows a mingling Of
the northern and southern species
Plant life is luxuriant in the swamp
and some parts of it arc so densely
oyergrown that they are almost as dill
ficut to penetrate as the jungles OF the
Amazon. The two predominant types
OF "plant associations" are the black
gum association, comprising the water
gum. red maple, rattan and yellow jes-
samine, and the juniper association
comprising the white cedar, pine, sweet
bay, shrubs and cane. A few speci
mems of the bald cypress are still found
in some places, but this tree was prob
ably more abundant in earlier years
The cypress knees that grow in the
dark. densely forested areas and the
wcathered, moss-hung cypress trunks
that border the shore of Lake Drum.
mond are the most striking features OF
the region. Aquatic plants have com.
pletely filed some of the abandoned
bitches. and dense canebrakes grow
upon their banks With the CLINT OF
1.-THE blooming yellow jessamine in May
the swamp is all that the soul of an
artist would desire.
Interesting Animal Life.
The fauna of the Dismal swamp is
wide in range and as interesting to the
| zoologist and hunter as the fora is to
the botanist. Save for the lock keeper
near Lake Drummond and a few farm
ers who live in marginal areas, the re-
eion Is little inhabited, and-there are
many places where man has never trod.
Bears frequently stir the brake, rab'
bits scamper about, muskrats and fish
swim in the placid amber waters
brightly plumed birds fill the air with
song, and in warm weather snakes OF
many species -rattlers, eopperheads,
water moccasins, kings and blacks