Section IV., 1897. [ 131 ] Tkans. R. S. C. 



YI. — Upon Raised Peat-Boys in the Province of Neio Brunswick. 

 By W. F. Ganong, M.A., Ph.D. 



[Contributions to the Ecological Plant-Geography of New Brunswick, No. 1.] 

 (Presented by Professor L. W. Bailey, June 23, 1S!)7.) 



Along a ptirt of the coast of the Bay of Fundy, in the pt'ovince of 

 New Brunswick, occur inany peat-bogs, amongst which the raised type 

 is developed to a rare degree. Flat bogs are common enough every- 

 where in glaciated North America, and others of an intermediate sort are 

 not unusual, but no such perfect examples of the raised form have been 

 described from elsewhere in this country. I called attention to them in 

 the Botanical Gazette in 1890 (9), and during the summers of 1895 and 

 189(3 was able to give them further study, of which the results are pre- 

 sented in this paper. 



The American literature of peat-bogs is extremely scanty ; indeed, 

 from the biological point of view, hardly any exists. There are several 

 systematic papers upon the Sphagnum mosses, and the text-books of 

 geology and many geological reports, notably one by Shaler (18a), treat 

 of them from the geological stand-point, and also of their economics ; but 

 on the organisms which inhabit and compose them in their relations to 

 one another and to external physical conditions, we have only two or 

 three short papers, including Pi'ofessor MacjMillan"s on Sphagnum Atolls 

 in Minnesota (13a), and on Muskeag in Minnesota (136) and mine men- 

 tioned above. On those of New Brunswick there are notes by Chal- 

 mers (3). This paucity of literature shows how little they have been 

 studied, which is due no doubt in part to their distribution, the best types 

 occurring tar from the botanical centres, and in part to their small econ- 

 omic value in this country ; the index to Experiment Station literature 

 contains but a single reference to the subject. But in Europe the con- 

 ditions are very different. G-reat bogs occur within easy reach of the 

 botanists of Germany, Switzerland, and Scandinavia, and their great 

 economic value in those countries has led to their exhaustive study both 

 by individual workers and by government commissions. A copious 

 literature has resulted, some of the more important works of which will 

 be found cited below. It is important to note here that Dr. Friih and 

 Dr. Schriiter of Zurich, two of the leading authorities, have in prepar- 

 ation a monograph of the entire subject.' 



1 lu 1S90 a commission, with Dr. Friih as chairman, was appointed by the 

 " Schweizerische Botanische Gesellschaft " for the study of moors and bogs. A 

 very valuable pamphlet (8), intended as a guide in all moor problems, Jias been 

 issued by the commission, and is sent gratis to all applicants. 



