MOO 



jMOO 



imagined that the soil was peculiarly 

 fitted for them. If the stump of a 

 large tree, which has been cut down, 

 is grubbed up, pieces of the moor- 

 band may often be seen all around 

 the stem, at a short depth below the 

 surface, so arranged as to show evi- 

 dently that the tap-root, having found 

 an aperture, and extending its fibres 

 downward into a better soil, has, in 

 swelling, broken the pan and pushed 

 it aside. When the moor consists of 

 a loose, peaty earth of little depth in- 

 cumbent on a rock, as is the case in 

 many mountainous countries, no art 

 can fertilize it. In dry weather the 

 whole surface has the appearance of 

 a brown powder like snufi", which be- 

 comes a spongy peat as soon as it 

 is soaked with rain. The hardiest 

 heaths and mosses alone can bear 

 this alternation ; and where the sub- 

 stratum of rock is not broken into 

 crevices through which the roots pen- 

 etrate, all vegetation ceases except 

 mosses and lichens. 



" Moss land is often confounded 

 with moor ; but it is very distinct in 

 its nature. Moss land is produced by 

 the accumulation of aquatic plants, 

 and its origin is chiefly vegetable. 

 When it has a considerable depth, 

 and Its substance has lost all power 

 of vegetation, it forms peat bogs of 

 more or less consistency, as the wa- 

 ter is drained off or retained in its 

 pores. In the latter case it appears 

 like a spongy vegetable mass, con- 

 sisting almost entirely of fibres, so 

 interwoven as to form a very light 

 substance, in which water is easily 

 retained, which keeps up a kind of in- 

 ternal vegetation, by which the quan- 

 tity of the moss is gradually increas- 

 ed. This is the substance which cov- 

 ers the surface of bogs, and where it 

 is of some consistence it allows a 

 passage over them ; but where it is 

 very thin and loose it deceives the 

 eye by an appearance of solidity, like 

 that of a smooth, green pasture, 

 which, however, gives way to the 

 pressure of the foot, and allows it to 

 sink through it with very little resist- 

 ance. The only way to improve 

 moss is to drain it, and then convert 



the vegetable matter of which it is 

 composed into soil, by means of lime 

 and pressure. The latter is effected 

 by putting on a considerable quantity 

 of earth, especially sand and gravel, 

 which, incorporating with the moss; 

 consolidates it, and assists the lime 

 in decomposing the vegetable fibre. 

 After this it becomes extremely fer- 

 tile, producing abundant crops of po- 

 tatoes and oats ; and whenever it has 

 acquired sufficient solidity by the 

 treading of sheep and cattle, it will 

 produce good crops of wheat, or, if 

 laid down to grass, give abundance 

 of hay and pasture. Trees do not 

 thrive in mossy soil, there being too 

 little solidity for the roots, and the 

 large trunks which are frequently 

 found in bogs must have grown be- 

 fore the moss was formed. This may 

 be easily imagined. A wood laid flat 

 by a storm or hurricane may obstruct 

 the natural flow of the waters, and 

 cause them to accumulate. The pros- 

 trate trees become surrounded by 

 aquatic plants, which spread their 

 fibres and roots freely through the 

 water, and, decaying, make room for 

 others. Thus the trees are gradually 

 covered and buried in the moss till 

 future generations find them, when 

 the moss or bog is explored for fuel 

 or for improvement. The trees which 

 are found buried in mosses frequent- 

 ly show evident signs of having been 

 gradually covered. The upper sur- 

 face is often decayed and uneven, 

 while the lower surface shows that 

 it has remained submerged and pro- 

 tected from the contact and influence 

 of the air, and has thus been preserv- 

 ed from rotting." — {W. L. Rham.) 



MOOR-BaS'DPAN. The incrus- 

 tation produced in som.e ferruginous 

 soils. See Moor. The pan may be 

 calcareous in limestone soils, and 

 when not very hard can be destroy- 

 ed bv the subsoil plough. 



MOOR GR.\SS. Scsleria daclylo- 

 ides. An unimportant Southern grass. 



MOOSE. Cerviis alecs. The lar- 

 gest of the deer genus. They live in 

 troops in swampy places, and are con- 

 fined to the northern portions of the 

 States, and to Canada. 



503 



