VOL. XVI. NO. 5— BOTANICAL GAZETTE — MAY, 1891 



On raised peat-bogs in New Brunswick. 



w. F. GANONG. 



In certain places near the sea-coast of Charlotte and St. 

 John counties in the Province of New Brunswick there occur 

 several large peat bogs, composed of the purest Sphagnum, 

 which have their centers raised many feet above their mar- 

 gins. Such raised bogs must be exceedingly rare; indeed, 

 Professor W. G. Farlow tells me that he has heard of but one 

 other instance, which was in the case of a raised bog in Swe- 

 den described in a botanical journal some years ago. These 

 in New Brunswick then must have a special botanical interest. 



These bogs having come of late locally into notice for rea- 

 sons to be referred to below, the present writer, who like many 

 another botanist enjoys in his native place a reputation for 

 omniscience in mutters botanical, was called upon last summer 

 to explain their origin. Not being able to do so, he found 

 his natural and securest refuge in the usual resort in such 

 cases, an habitual expression of scepticism (in this case nearly 

 as much real as assumed) as to their very existence. All such 

 refuge, however, was closed to him when, in August last, he, 

 that is to say I, made a visit to one of them in company with 

 a well-known enthusiast on peat bogs and skilful exponent of 

 other local wonders, Mr. C. E. Boardman, of Milltown, 

 New Brunswick. 



The one we visited was near Seely's Cove, in Charlotte 

 county, N. B., some twenty miles in an air line N. K. from 

 Eastport, Maine. This bog lies on the right of the highway 

 as one approaches the coast, and is over a quarter, perhaps 

 half a mile in length. It is relatively narrow, being not more 

 than one-sixth of that distance in breadth, perhaps less. It 

 lies in a general N. and S. direction, nearly parallel, at its 

 upper part at least, with the highway road, and therefore with 

 the high land. It rises gently from the margin all around 

 until it attains a height of about ten feet, when it slopes still 

 more gently, probably four or five feet higher, and then be- 

 comes flat topped, and so runs for the above mentioned length. 

 Its section would present about the curveof a loosely strung 



