740 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 12 



le 



squatter had feasted on wild honey, or lu'iored to 

 brinof down a rat'.roon or a bear. 



Wild fi-uits, ps[ei;ially phmis, prapes!, black and 

 red hawg, and black-berriee, are abiindiinl alontr 

 the edges of wet prairies, [n many places, in the 

 vicinity of elevated landt!. the irro'.ind is covered, 

 for milefi, with strawberries, but whether they are 

 indigenous, or introduced by the verv early set- 

 tlers, 1 am unprepared to say. The blossoms of 

 the crab, also, fre(|uently fill the air, in the early 

 eprinif months, wiih the most delicious odors.' It 

 is from these, together with the various oiher blos- 

 eoms and Hovvers, that the wild bees chiefly obtain 

 their honey. They usually store their sweets in 

 the hollow limbs and trunks of the neio'hborintr 

 trees, where they someiimes accunmlate inmiense 

 quantities. But the most delicious finiit which 



frrows in wet prairies, is the cranberrv. The cdI- 

 ection of this fruit furnishes occasion for pleasure 

 parties of the young people, which are amonir the 

 most agreeable of the rural diversions of the 

 west. 



Many of the wet prairies are more elevated 

 than those already mentioned. Tiiey are, how- 

 ever, small, containinij but few acres, and distant 

 from streams of wnler. Still their Ibrmatinn ap- 

 pears to be the same, with those already de- 

 scribed. When ditched, the peat, which they 

 contain, becomes very dry durintj summer sea- 

 sons. A farmer once called my attention to a 

 small boggy or shaking prairie, which had been 

 ditched two or three years previously; but when 

 the grass and small brush were set on fire, to pre- 

 pare the ground for cultivation, the surf ice limited, 

 and continued to burn for the principal part of the 

 summer. When the fire ceased, he found he had 

 a bed of earthy ashes, fiom three to eiixhl feet in 

 thickness, instead of the productive soil he anti- 

 cipated. 



From the Kaleicti Register. 



SECOND AlVNUAL REPORT OF THE RALEIGH 

 AND GASTON RAIL ROAD COMPANY. 



In submitting to the stockholders the Ibllowincr 

 report of their proceedings since the last annual 

 meeting, the president and directors deem it not 

 amiss, briefly to advert to the slate of at];iirs and 

 the condition of the work at that time. It will be 

 seen on relerence to the report then made, that 

 the road had been located as far as Tar river, and 

 the greater part placed under coturacf. From the 

 severity of the winter, but little work had then 

 been done. As soon, however, as the spring 

 opened, the work was vigorously prosecuted, and 

 we have the satisfaction of stating that, with a 

 single exception, the contractors have thus far 

 complied with their ensagements. The sradintr 

 of 48 miles of the road is now completed, with 

 the ex'ceptioii of a fijvv hundred yards, and the 

 work executed in a manner highly creditalile to 

 the contractors and engineers enlrueted with its 

 supervision. The soil is admirably adapted to the 

 construction of a rail-road; and the cuts are gener- 

 ally free from water. The banks on the first nine 

 miles of the road, from Gaston to Ijittleton. hav- 

 ing been thrown up a sufficient time to become 

 firm, it was thought advisable to lay down the su- 

 perstructure on this section at once; so that it is 

 now ready for use, as soon as the bridge across the 

 Roanoke shall be completed. On the remaining 



38 miles, the timber has all been delivered and 

 dressed, ready to be laid down fts soon as the em- 

 bankmenis shall have become sutticienlly settled, 

 fi'oni e.x|)osure to the winter' .s tlost. 



The briJge at Gasion, which had just been 

 commenced at the last nieeting, is now completed 

 within a span and a hall, and woidd iiave been 

 ready tor the cars on the first of January, but lor 

 our disaii[)oininienl in receiving timber which had 

 been contracted ibr and procured on the lower 

 Roanoke; but, owing to the low water in the 

 river, and the difficulty in obtaining means of 

 transporration, it could not be brought up in time, 

 notwithstanding every etibrt to do so. This diffi- 

 culty is now removed, and the bridge will be 

 Sjieedily completed. The iron, which was order- 

 ed, has all arrived, and is ready to be laul; and 

 we see no reason why the whole 48 miles should 

 not be ready Ibr transportation by the first of 

 June, though experience has made us sotnewhat 

 cautious in giving any pledges to the public on 

 this subject. 



On the road between Roanoke and Tar river, 

 there are five depots, viz: — at Litileion; at 

 Brown's, five miles north of Warrenion; at 

 Lambkin's opposite Warrenton; at Tvviity's; and 

 at Henderson, about three miles south ol'-ihe 

 Chalk Level; all of which, with the water stations 

 and wood houses, are nearly finished. 



The land damarres have, with one or two ex- 

 ceptions, been litpiidafed in the counties ol" War- 

 ren and Granville; but m Halilax, though pro- 

 ceediiiirs have been instituted, thedifliculty of pro- 

 curing suitable commissioners to act, has, as yet, 

 prevented their being adjusted. This has been 

 increased, by the omission in our charier to [)ro- 

 vida compensation for tho' services of the commis- 

 sioners. We hope, however, they will soon be 

 settled, and that those who, Ibr the purpose of en- 

 hancing their damages, have pretended such hos- 

 tility to this work, will then cease their opposition. 

 In Franklin and Wake, steps will be taken at the 

 ensuing courts, to condemn the lands of those 

 with whom we cannot effect compromises. 



The line from Tar river, to Raleigh has been 

 located. After crossing the river below Chavis' 

 Ford, it runs by Presley Person's, near Winston 

 and Kearney's store, crosses Cedar Creek, and 

 the two Brandies, runs through Wake Forest, 

 along by the Baptist Institute and Alston's store, 

 crosses Neuse river, near Wm, B. Dunn's, 

 thence by Robert JeiTrcys', crosses Crabtree about 

 250 yards below Jones' bridge, thence crossing 

 the stage road at the Pigeon House, it enters Ra- 

 leigh in the rear of Thomas P. Devereux's, and 

 terminates at Halifax street, in the ravine be- 

 tween Mr. Devereux's and the Eagle Hotel. For 

 a more particular and minute description of this 

 location, we beg to rel^T to the detailed report of 

 the chief engineer, which accompanies this. Be- 

 lieving I hat the interest of the stockholders would 

 be greatly promoted by the speedy completion of 

 the road to Raleigh, and finding that contracts 

 could be made on more favorable terms at that 

 time than any subsequent period, immediately on 

 the completion of the grading on the first division, 

 it was determined to go on with the work. The 

 whole line to Raleigh is now under contract, and 

 the contractors have commenced operations. This 

 course will, we hope, meet the unanimous appro- 

 bation of the stockholders. 



