Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-06-03


Vast regions of the globe, designated
in the Biographies as solid land, are
covered by peat bogs. The table lands OF
the South American Cordilleras, the i'm
mense plains of Siberia, about one-tenth
of Ireland, large proportions of the surface
of Scotland, Germany, Norway, Jutland,
the gorges of the Swiss Alps, and large
tracts IN this country are covered with the
morasses which have been formed by peaty
deposits. On many low plain, on lofty
table lands, in valleys and depressions
where water gathers and is held by the
clay subsol or the solid rock, the forma-
tion of peat goes on. The surfaces of these
silent waters are covered with thin green
film like mere scum which, however, Is
plant life, minute conferve, that decays
and sinks, to be succeeded by another
growth. These deposiuons going on, age
after age, become a solid mass, and ulti-
mately are transformed into peat. Varieties
of peat that to the unaided eye are but
smooth, oily muck, become under the mi
croscope, the remains of Vegetation, min
ute morasses that hourished aud died
through countless generations, and sank
ished them while living. In time this
gradual accumulation becomes a palpable
mass. Particles of sand and stones, the
roots of adjacent plants killed by the slug
gish waters are held in the mass, which,
rising year by year, at length affords Il
foothold for waterfowl, and gradually
reaches the surface, making a soil for
aquatic plants These in their turn con-
tribute to the accretion, 80 that the mass
consists Of layers, more or less defined, OF
the remains of conferv9, coarser vegeta-
ton, roots and entire plants, mingled with
sand and mineral substances. These
changes are passive and unnoticed, but the
water continues to accumulate, saturating
the entire mass, and at length becomes ag-
gressive breaking through the treachtrous
surface and destroying the vegetation that
has obtained a foothold over the slime.
Sometimes the imprisoned and generated
gases burst through, sending forth streams
OF black liquid mud, which overwhelm
and destroy all vegetable life within their
reach. These bogs are continually grow
ing. Quietly, gradually, but irreslstiby,
they spread, undermining forests in some
cases and sinking them out of sight. What
are commonly known as salt marshes are
frequently immense beds of peat. The
accumulation is very gradual, but the rank
grains, Eushes, and other aquatic vegeta-
tion which retain precarious foothold die
and decay and add year by year to the
mass. What was once a treacherous
morass, becomes in time apparently solid
land, and more advanced forms of vegeta
ton succeed; perhaps a forest. But the
marsh is still there, and below the root of
the trees is a spongy bed of peat. Even
beneath the shade of forests growing on
solid ground peat is in process of forma-
tion. The foliage Of the trees deposited
annually and the suffhca vegetation that
grows in rank luxuriance in the impenetra-
BILE shade decay and add layer after layer
of soft, shiny substance, that in time be-
comes concreted peat. Thinning or cut
ting oil the trees allows the water to eva
porate, and the peat becomes the compare
lively dry tibrous substance We use as
fuel.