Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1867-11-29

most inpercep,ahe decent frafa tlic higher
/ lands between them, 10 that ore c2saGt en-
who're tho high laai begins, aud the boston
ends. be whole err ace, frgin near the
streams % The l9T dividing ridges, is aftu-
! latory, 20 jaat tie a-lpt4gance Df TIE asccat
| IL sometimes obsrared. Jls8 IT, Te..t n oFsh
| Is gre &c numerous nmour tie low haobs Of
| the tiri5es" ~ fi.aya-e nearer the streams.
Aa bef.re said, Tie c9srnoa prairie gias7es
and riaGfc cover tbe Reasrti surface, bot
usually a. soon ~ tne borders of ths peat
marsh are reached, there i sudden. ard
almost entire change Of vegetation. Jae
real peat vegetation rDay be said to be a
single species OF moss, and another Ct a pe
| coliar grass. While olheF plants mar, aid
| DO often grow apoa and enter ilto the cora
| position Of peat, mineral Impurities, such a.
common soil and sand which form lhe lat
| ural habitat Of those plants, may, from this
| circumstance. be expected to have been dif-
fused in the peat through the agency Of
| nosds high winds, &c. because these min
e-ai constituents Of soil seefn 10 be indIspea
| s.. lie to The growth of tloge plants, willie
| ikev 10 not sAst 10 - necessary 10. ~
| growth of die rSSas end ,vira 80 ss-s TIE
! pest II faarstes near the banks of ssreaess
| i subject 10 sseL impurities, While that CT
| ihsse marshes xnca are so sitgat1i t. i
| they cea receive no w2siliass from tie sar-
| rounding surface is i3-EJ coupar4sigsiY
| pure. 5ach marshes are eo.ese4 a.n.0st *.
| c!usYe 3 wi,h the two species CT vegetation
| inst Eeutioucl. Thus q yery correct iady-
| rneDt NAV oflen be fsrtsei of tie caafae;er
OF . marsh Dy seeing ia vegetation, witioat
| goias upon It. il has been noticed that
| where the scogring rush grows rrof4sslT
among the real peat vegetation, w- 90 col
--nallY find the peat very fhiek. nor yefy
puse. yet none D. tie mar les are entireiY
free rom The Tash. Is ve stand upon !he
higher laud and look over one of the marsh
e. almost Zoe only vegetation sroviny gpou
il which rneets the eva i the peculiar grass
taf4re referred So known among te- inhgbi.
.a-,s as ,rire gras. Although thousands of
acres Of .his grass h%Ye been examined ia
the latter part ofihe sess1n, 10 specimen q
Ii has been found ii howe, or seed 1t in
creasas and reaeHs is grosth by lateral bad
ding near the roots. These roots, together
with the moss, from a somewhat loose bgt
sirorr SOD upon the snrfacs. 1i.e leaves age
long. slender, somewhat rounded AMI cellg>
lar. Being OF nearly uniform leng.ii--:vo
or three feet--,he level marsh, stretching
sometimes rIore than nile away. presents
much the appearance Of lake as the wind
blows over the waving grass. This il the
general appearance Of The pea, marshes. but
there are some marshes preseutiug this gen
eral appearance which contain little or 10
peat These are generally small and eoas.-
guentiy shallow
Considering tie undulalory character OF
the surface before mentioned, il would be
expected ihat the smaller marshes would be
shallow, but ,ais wol.d Of course ieperd il
u great degree upon the abrGp.oeas Of tie
Indications. Again. there are very broad
marshes il comparatively l1, region, the
peat Of wlieh, fur Obvious reaaors, is quite
shallow.
Those .narshas which lie upon tie more
anduisting sariaees are frequently arranged
in series, each successigeiy Occupying q little
.aser level than tl4e others, and netfar 81 art.
Ike the pond before mentioned near Lake
Gertrude. La such cases the marshes aaay
be easily drained from ona 10 another, and
Erally into Tie b.cokieis to which .hey give
, rise. approaching the marsh, We fad IL
most caSes, is soon as We reach the moist
ground in the yieiui;y OF lis border, the pres.
ence q tie growing moss among lie ordiaa-
ry prairie grasses ana plants. he .asss IL
creases in quantity as tbs saFfslr bscIsissas
more moist and upen reaching tie peat sar>
face qe USUALLY 6ad K covered with thick.
saft carpet of s.loss = the rooti of the wire
grass. 1s we walk upon the surface. II the
nea. Of any considerable depth. We per-
i..-t,e i quaAiag beneath Us, producing the |
iesiing oi danger tAa: ve may siio through |
tae soft but tough sod into The s5t; moss d.,
low. Cutting iate this sod. s,h sharn
spade ana lifting out piece IS deep as III |
splAe' blaze, we ind it a thiekly iaierHoven /
mass OF moss and grass roots Ia different I
stages ei aeccmPogitlen. increasing viii ,.s I
depth, 50 that the lower por!ion u il NAV le /
easily pulled to pieces sisA lie fingers. Ills.
ard ~! Lsi~een i and the earthly Iagcs ~
ihe bet.oHn, > peat, yet tie sal Itself. slen
dry. viii make goad lish; fae,
Feat IN various parts Of the world differs
iaaeh Ia quality from iib.oas mass alrnos.
as ight SIS sponge. 10 smooth, homoeene.
Gus substance almost as denseiy When dry.
as coal.
Our Iowa pea. pariakes Of the iibrous
Character bot is rot Of the lighiest varieties.
1t varies considerably in quality. or perhaps
more properly speaking. in ripeness. ly
whi-h IS meant The mere or less complete
destruction OF tie vegetable texture in which
IL Lad rs or gin as 9 top sod. and which has
oe-i ieis penea;h 70 perfect It's peculiar de-
composition by the accumulating growth
above. Thus, when We bring UP specia,ens
from various depths We find thai liza DEEPER
oaes Viii usually dry into nore causnaot
mass than the others. This is consequently
bette. fuel. not that j. wiIl burn aaF more
perfectly, but being more compact, il IS more
aafahle, and capable O.. Producing more
laten.e hct.t
Peat in the marsh holds sisiin is saa>
stance almost an incredible amount II va
Ter and where it Is of eoas'ie ra5ie dep,h il
quickly abscrbs the rain which falls tpan Il. !
.he surface risiag aud fslhag 30 = LINKED
iegFee as the moisture dries out by evapora.
Ion, or is supplied by tAe rains. Cease>
iaeat'y the surface of tie deeier uar.Ies
ave 10 water standing upon them during
he greater part q the year. even when com. !
aanieaiing with the open ws:er of ga al: /
dining pond.
c. 4. wur-r. /