Geology of Seneca County. 81 



now assessed in Tyre at $2 an acre ; swamp land at $3 to 

 according to the amount of timber upon it. 



My correspondent, Hon. D. H. Evans, defines marsh as locali- 

 ties in which flag and coarse grass grow, but no trees ; swamp is 

 where elm, soft maple and ash trees grow, though seemingly as 

 low as the marsh. Flag is cut in large quantities along the 

 streams running through the marsh, and sold at good prices, so 

 that men make from §2 to $4 a day at it. The marsh is also 

 used for pasture. Much of the coarse hay is cut ; hundreds 

 of tons this year. It is pressed and shipped, and used largely 

 for bedding for stock and for packing earthenware ; much is also 

 used for feed. The value of the swamp depends on the amount 

 of timber, large quantities of which are cut every year. 



There are a good many bits of ill drained land in the drumlin 

 region of Tyre and Junius, some of which are named in Gibson's 

 map from the trees which abounded in them — cedar, pine, 

 hemlock, black-ash swamps. 



The report of the State Commissioners, in 1825, stated that 

 the water of Cayuga lake used to rise from July to the time of 

 frost, owing to the summer's growth of weeds in the stream 

 choking the outlet. ' This is not now the case, for the streams 

 supplying the lake are mostly dry during this time of the year. 

 It is certain that the introduction of drain tile has caused the 

 water to flow off from the tilled lands much more rapidly than 

 was formerly the case after rains and during the spring floods. 

 Deforesting has contributed to the same result. In great floods 

 the water sometimes stands three feet deep over the marshes 

 from Mosquito Point up to Cayuga lake, a distance of 16 miles ; 

 but this continues only a few days at a time. 



It appears that the region was formerly subject to malaria. 

 The Commissioners, in 1>^25, state that not only was this true of 

 the immediate borders of the stream, but that for many miles 

 the air was injuriously affected. Mr. Evans, however, living in 

 a tract surrounded by these marshes, writes me that at present 

 the neighborhood of the marshes is not at all subject to fevers. 



The " Black Swamp " is drained to a considerable extent. 

 Much of the soil is a deep layer of pure vegetable mold. A 

 large part is still covered with trees. Further improvement in 

 drainage could doubtless be effected. 

 II 



