The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-06-03
How Peat IL Formed.

Vast regions Of the globe, designated
in the Biographies as solid land, arc
covered by peat bogs. The table lands OF
the South American Cordilleras, the i'm
mcnse 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 III this country are covered with the
morasscs which have been formed by peaty
deposits. On many low plain, on lofty
table lands, in valleys and dcprcssions
where water gathers and is held by the
clay subSoil or the solid rock, the forma-
ton Of peat goes on. The surfaces of these
Silent waters arc covered with thin green
film like mere scum which, however, is
plant life, minute confcrv,e, that decays
and sinks to be succeeded by another
growth. These dcpositlons going on, age
after aye, become solid mass and ulti-
matcly arc 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 iiourisNed and died
through countless generations, and sank
below the water that sustained and nour-
ishcd them while living. In time this
gradual accumulation becomes palpablc
mass. Particles of sand and stones, the
roots Of adjacent plants killed by the slug
gish waters are hcld in the mass, which,
rising year by year, at length affords u
foothold for WATERFOWL, and gradually
reaches the surface, making soil for
aquatic plants. These in their turn con-
tribute tOthc accrction, 80 that tho mass
consists of layers, more or less defined, of
the rtn.aiuS Of ConfcrvW, cOarScr vcgeta-
ton, IS and entire plants, mingled with
sand aud mineral substances. These
changes are passive and unnoticcd, but tho
water continues to accumulate, salurating
the entire mass, and at length becomes ag-
Sr' ssivc, breaking through the !rcachcrous
surface and destroying the vegetation that
has obtained n fOothOld over the slime.
Sometimes the imprisoned and generated
gases burst through, sending forth streams
OF black liquid mud, which ovcrwhelm
and destroy all vegetable life within their
reach. These bogs are continually grow
ing. Quietly, gradually, but irreslstibly,
they spread, undermining forests in some
cases and sinking them out of sight What
are commonly known rs salt marshes are
frequently immense beds of peat. The
accumulation is very gradual, but the rank
grains, rushcs, and other aquatic vcgcta-
ton which retain prccarious foothold die
and decay and add year by year to the
mass. What was Onco trcncherous
morass, becomes in time apparently solid
land, and more advanced forms of vcgcta-
ton succeed; perhaps a forest. But the
marsh is still there, and below the root of
the trees is spongy bed of peat. Even
beneath the shade of forests growing on
solid ground peat is in process Of forma-
ton. The foliage of the trees deposited
annually and the surface vaa"t"tinn thnt
9rnwo in rank lnH"rionou iii the impenotra-
bic shade decay and add layer after layer
of soft, shiny substance, that in time be-
comes concrctcd peat. Thinning or cut
ting off the trees allows the water to eva
poratc, and the peat becomes the compara-
lively dry tibrous substance we use rs
fucl.l