Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1867-11-29
PEAT IN 70 VA.
Letter from The State Ceologis'.
Iowa CIrY, Nov. 10, ls.

Iowa CIrE, Nov. 10, ls67.
Ia pursuance Of my plan for Investigating
The resources for fuel. wen, ia the latter
State 80 examine the country for peat. d.
recting more especial s'tcation to the coun>
ties Of Franklin, Wright, Cerro Gorio, Han
cock, Worth. Wiunebago and kossnth. The
reasons which induced the belief that large
quantities oi peat would be found 10 that
portion Of the State were SET forth in = eoEi-
Inunicatior last September, and ii is graft
fling fact 10 the writer that the views then
expressed have since been fully verified By
the late examinations there.
GENERAL REaAREs.
Peat has its origin in the partial decom>
position OF yegaiab!e matter ulder ws.er, or
in condition Of great moisture on, or near
the site VI lis growth. 10 some parts Of the
world having a moist atmosphere il is fund
occupying elevated PORTIONS bss in our
State il may b. invariably looked for a low
marches, most oi which have doubtless c4ce
been ponds. Wherever pond has existed,
rank grasses. rashes and osher plants have
grown upon is boriers; and the frosss OF
each returning November LAD them beneath
its surface, their comminated fragments mar
rowing the area and iessening tAe depth OF
its waters until tie surface becomes the prop
er habitat OF peculiar moss WHICH coAtiH>
ues 70 flourish upon the rapidly deeonposiag
bodies q tue raren. stems, without peoper
ro0i; and which, wish ths renaius o. tl.e
grasses and other plants that grew With il.
has flled some o! the ponds with The car
bonaceoHs matter thus produced. 4 tew 81
these ponds We ali only partially so iiilel,
a vide margin Of peat marsh surrounding
The open water IN the middle.
Peat ;hen. in a country 50 diva ours. 90
never be formed where there have. tsh 70
ponds. and consequently it Is ni.. i.keiY TO De
found extensively IN tie wsi'dIa'hea fes'ens
of our State.
At the close Of that period in The car.h's
history, kaown am1as seoicgisls ~ lhe gia>
cial epoch, SLe4i rae Continents NlheA hoy
exist had already assumed their lfe-eat ~
n,ss,sions and shapes, that poriionei tue sur
face iE which our State is siluatedlsas mach !
more uniform than i now is. Shllow de- |
pressious only, existed then, and iese gave |
initial direction to the courses Of ne streams !
into which the surface waters wer gathered. |
The rains. foods ard ifests Of T. unHum-
berea years that have passed sine then, TO-
ge;her with their steady flow, have worn
their channels deeper aud decker, causing |
the deepening also of their .rprtaries IS
well IS of the small raviues With led into
them. Thus, wherever the strcms are nu.
merous, and their valleys deepIhe coantry
is perfectly drained, and eonsgaently, few
or 10 ponds are found. Btin a region
where streams have their risefie depression
will, for a part Of the year, aJeast, BE filed
with water. because there isno aecumala.
ton OF water beyond to send icurrent across
them 10 cut channel ior iiI II oatlet.
In the southern rortioJ Of Iowa the
streams are numerous, aud BE region Is CON
seqaeatiy well draizel, butnauY Of those
streams having their rise h the norihera
part OF the State. tire physIl conditions cx.
ist there which are neeessE 10 the f1r,aa-
ten Q. peat. |, iiust aoshowever, BE- un,
dersteod that peat does nd exist elsewhere,
Tor II Is we'll known that ftny exoel!en; De-
posts arc foanl even as lar south as the
center Of tee Stale; Jet T. northern parts
may be regarded as pres >t1ineatiy It's peat
DEscRfFTiet.
Franklin county having 5een noticed IN g
previous communication, the present one
will be confined PRINCIPAL to the remainder
y the counties first nsdad. The general
.eriaec OF this region Is Il more or less un-
ialatory character, and Although not pcs
essing very strongly tarAei features. it
eidom presents that sgi defined, oceaa>like
iorizon which one sfeg. .eaily obs rves upon /
he prairies fariher % the southwark. A
cry large proportion ct the surface is prsi.
ie: that is, il j. c6yercd with tie usual nrai. {
ie grasses and pants and being largely 5
estitate of trees II presents to the eve a c
reat many sHs'it, irregular, round eleya> j,
ons associated With responding depress> !
,ns. Some Of these dopressions are occu. !
led by rogis an, lakes because they do not 4
viii each other so freely as the a
epressioEs 60 il well drained regions aad Il
part OF these p'nds and lakes have become 5
banged into pea marshes. Why they have ;
Of all hccenie > changed IS 10, known. lot &
'ere arc q icw ponds aud small lakes in I,
rs regina whi'l slows little or no .audea. Il
: to he iarais1on Of peat even alone .heir
laliowor ho9deS. ranga ot these rra,. Il
50 lakelots, comprising quite number. c
.isis along Tie" divide" between The Iowa l.
ID Eaaue rires, IN tie counties ef Nr,ch; v
ID Hancock. They vary from half a nile +
mle ani bali aeross, 10 some q. which {
G settlers haYe applied appropriate names, q
d some have none. Indian names are q
mesimes beautiful, and peyhaps apptopris q
.. i we kasw theie real Specification, bu. s.
dlan names are not popular wilh these s.
70 hase So liTll y recollection of lie atro. q
los Of iakpaaaiNh aud his mupierous band. | 4
who lave lived so rear the scenes OF re
sir carnage. Il is, therefore. thoeebt res u
appropriate @ apply the fal'owing person Il.