FARMERS' REGISTER. 



249 



soil, and though the vast extent of surface alone 

 is securiiy against any considerable effect, even on 

 the western borJers. of inundation from hiijher 

 lands, still (here are sufficient causes why these 

 lands should be very wet tiiroiigh the greater part 

 of the year. The almost perfect level of the sur- 

 face prevents any considerable quantity of the 

 fallen rain-water from flowing away to the rivers 

 and swamps; the sandiness of the soil, and slill 

 more of the subsoil, serves readily to drink in the 

 rain water; and the close nature of the clay be- 

 low forbids the excess of the water thus taken in 

 to sink lower, and therefore it ntust fill the entire 

 soil and subsoil, lor several leet in depth, until 

 drawn up and carried off' slowly by evaporation, 

 during the driest part of summer and autumn; 

 and which evaporation, is much retarded by the 

 general shade of pine forest over nearly the whole 

 of this great region. 



These circumstances are sufficient to show why 

 wetness of the earth should generally prevail, 

 even in the drier limes of much the jireater part 

 the year; and why every heavy rain should so fill 

 and overflow the surface of the land, whether fo- 

 rest or savanna, and serve to make any dry walking 

 impossible soon afterwards, in any direction. Dur- 

 ing two or three months of the driest season, it is 

 true that all these lands, savanna as well as forest, 

 become perfectly dry. Kut that does not prevent 

 the growth and general circumstances of the land 

 being governed and directed by its opposite condi- 

 tion of wetness, which continues lor three-fourths 

 of the year. 



This general state of moisture of the land is 

 particularly (avorable to the growth of grass; and 

 though all the grasses both of calcareous and rich 

 soils are necessarily excluded by the chemical con- 

 stitution and poverty of this soil, there are enough 

 of other grasses which are best nourished by the 

 acid quality of soil which must exist here, and 

 which is poisonous to all the most valuable plants 

 of cultivation. The poverty and acidity of the soil 

 also forbid the growth of the kinds of trees which 

 flourish best on rich and well-constituted wet lands, 

 as the poplar, ash, black-gum, maple, &c. Pines, 

 then, the most appropriate and favored growth of 

 dry, acid, and sandy soils, form necessarily the al- 

 most sole growth of this great region, though the 

 general state of moisture is unfiavorable to their 

 greatest vigor. Thus it may be supposed that there 

 must be a general disposition of the growth of 

 trees to give way to the growth of grass, when- 

 ever there are additional and strongly operating 

 auxiliary causes of support given to the latter. 

 These causes are presented in the several follow- 

 ing cases : 1st, whenever the soil is more stilf, or 

 the lowest clay sub-stratum rises nearer to the sur- 

 face, and either, or both, serving to retain more of 

 the rain water at and near the surface ; or, 2d, 

 when the vegetable matter in the soil is deeper 

 and more abundant, and being not fully decom- 

 posed, is of a peaty nature, (a consequence of the 

 preceding named condition, and which is always 

 the case in the savannas,) and which therefore is 

 still more unfriendly to the growth of trees ; 

 and 3d, the burning over of all the forest land in 

 the spring, which is almost universally done, and 

 which must damage a weakly growth of trees 

 more and more by every repetition, and thereby 

 allow a greater growth of grass, and of course 

 more of the fuel furnished by the grass for buc- 

 VoL. VIU-32 



ceeding burnings. It ia where all these circum- 

 stances are combined, that, by the gradual destruc- 

 tion of the trees by fire, the savannas liave been 

 formed, and will be maintained as long aa the 

 same causes continue to operate. 



The savanna I examined most closely was with- 

 in three miles of already discovered marl, of the 

 rich quality above stated ; and it would be a cheap 

 improvement to bring and apply it to the savanna; 

 and I am confident that marling, and draining, 

 (which also could be easily effected,) would make 

 this savanna excellent land lor wheat and clover, 

 as well as for corn or oats. But the improvement 

 might probably be made still more cheaply, as the 

 bed of marl doubtless lies under it, and most of the 

 other savannas, and might be obtained either im- 

 mediately from below, or elsewhere, more cheaply 

 than by carriage for even three miles. The rail- 

 way offers sufficiently cheap transportation for 

 lime, or the richest marl, to considerable dis- 

 tances. 



The drainage nf savanna, might be effected by 

 the plough, and by the same operation that would, 

 best prepare it lor cultivation. If attempted, I 

 would advise the ploughing of the land during 

 summer, when dry enough, by a three or four- 

 horse plough, into very wide beds, (say of 26 leet, 

 if for 5 corn rows, or 19 leet if lor 3 rows each,) 

 with deep and clean water-furrows between the 

 beds. As soon as the surface had become some- 

 what closed, another ploughing in the same order 

 and manner, would raise the bed still higher, and 

 nearly double the depth of the water-ILirrow. It 

 would only then need that all the water-furrows 

 should discharge into one or more cross-ditches, 

 cut in the lowest ground, and having sufficient 

 depth and good ouilets, and the draining would 

 be complete. The ditches designed to receive the 

 water discharged from the water-furrows, and also 

 any cross ditches required at depressions, might 

 likewise be made principally by the plough, if 

 done before the bedding. Full directions for both 

 these operations have been published in the Farm- 

 ers' Register ; that for ditching by the plough, in 

 an article on draining, in numbers 7 and 12 of vol. 

 i., and for the wide bedding in the observations on 

 the Gloucester lands and culture, in vol. vi, I 

 have never seen lands to which both these modes 

 of drainage could be better applied ; and if fol- 

 lowed by marling or liming, (and without that, all 

 improvement of this acid land would be profitless,) 

 I know no lands which promise better recompense 

 for I he expense of the improvement. 



But even as they are, the savannas are excel- 

 lent grazing grounds while the grass is younc and 

 tender. The burning was early on the large sa- 

 vanna, (as is usual,) and it already is a beautiful 

 expanse of green, regular and unbroken to the 

 eye of the traveller as a grazed lawn. As yet 

 but few kinds of the numerous wild ffowers of the 

 savannas have opened ; but in June they are seen 

 throughout, and of various kinds, and successions 

 of kinds continue to adorn every part of the ground 

 until frost. 



Slate of agriculture, and products of the country. 



Except rice, made on the embanked marshes of 

 the Cape Fear river, there is but little if any sur- 

 plus grain made in the counties around Wilming- 

 ton. The corn required for the support of that 



