92 College of Forestry 
having a significance comparable to that of wind-carried 
dust particles so far as total volume and lake filling effects 
are concerned. The volume of organic debris (peat) which 
is formed by the dead bodies of such organisms will be 
appreciated by anyone who has observed the co-called 
“blossoming” or “fermenting” of a lake such as Tully 
and Oneida. At certain periods, especially midsummer in 
this particular case, the water becomes clouded, light pene- 
tration is materially hindered and a thick seum hes on the 
water in quiet bays or is cast upon the shore gravel, ete. 
Of course these organisms are by no means all plants. In 
Tully lake zodplankton constitutes at times the bulk 
of floating or suspended organisms. Usually however colo- 
nies of a blue green alga (Mertsmopedia) are the most 
abundant and continue to cloud the water the longest. On 
one occasion in November I took samples of water to a 
depth of six inches over a five mile course on Oneida Lake 
and found spherical colonies of a blue-green alga, Rivularia, 
evenly distributed through the water to an undetermined 
depth in numbers averaging roughly estimated, six colonies 
per cubic centimeter of water (no doubt too low an esti- 
mate.) I judged that the conditions found over this five- 
mile course taken at random was prevalent throughout the 
entire area of this largest of New York lakes. If so, it 
meant a mass of organic material that should have a notable 
effect upon the biological and sanitary conditions of the 
water and upon the accumulation of organic ooze upon the 
bottom. 
Davis’ writing as to floating alge as sources of peat says: 
“They sometimes occur in such numbers especially in 
northern and mountain lakes as to give a distinct green 
color to the water and by their death and partial decay to 
form very considerable deposits of soft structureless peat; 
they may also constitute an important part of peat formed 
in lakes and ponds where remains of larger and more com- 
1 Bastin, E. S., and Davis, C. A. Peat Deposits of Maine. U. S. 
Geog. Surv. Bull., 376: p. 11. 
