174 PEAT. 



"These are the largest forms, and most of them are quite abundant, but the great mass is made up of 

 frustules of the minute Gaillionella varians of Ehrenberg, whose size rarely exceeds one twenty-five hund- 

 red ths of an inch. Now, although 'figures will not lie,' they yet lead to almost incredible results, when we 

 calculate how many of these minute but perfect organisms occur in a single cubic inch of this deposit. 

 You may go over the calculation, and correct the result if wrong. 



2500 X 2500 = 6,250,000 ; Six millions two hundred and fifty thousand in a square inch. 



2500 X 2500 X 2500 = 15,625,000,000 ; Fifteen thousand six hundred and twenty-five millions in a 



cubic inch. 



" Yet I suppose your locality contains many thousands, not merely of cubic inches, but of cubic feet of 

 matter equally rich in animalcular remains. This specimen also contains the fossil pollen of pine and 



other trees. Yours, most truly, 



J. W. BAILEY." 



There is another small deposit of infusorial silica in Wcstmore, south of Willoughby Lake. All the 

 above species, called animalcules, are now regarded, we believe, as microscopic plants. 



PEAT. 



Peat is formed in bogs and marshes by the accumulation of vegetable matter, especially the constantly 

 decaying roots of the sphagnous moss. It is often deposited upon the top of marl, as has been mentioned 

 on a previous page. The number of peat beds in Vermont is so great that we have not endeavored to 

 enumerate them. They may be found in every town in the State. We will, however, mention those of 

 special interest, mostly from the observations of Eev. S. E. Hall. 



The relations of peat to marl are shown in Fig. 78. The peat is five feet thick, and is covered with a 

 growth of timber, consisting of cedar, black ash, tamarack, spruce and pine. 



In Albany, on the farm of Zuar Eowell, east of Great Hosmer s Pond, overlying marl is a bed of peat 

 four feet thick, covering from six to ten acres. There is about 1500 cords of peat on each acre. On the 

 land of G. W. Powers, in the southeast part of the town, half a mile north upon Mr. Orne's faim, in the 

 northeast part of the town, on land of Mr. Church, Mr. Hovey, etc., there is a great amount of peat. Near 

 the new church there is a bed of peat evolving sulphureted hydrogen when disturbed. 



Peat is also described as abundant in the towns of Andover, Barnet, Barre, Barton, Berlin, Bethel, Brad- 

 ford, Brattleboro, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Brownington, Calais, Cavendish, Chelsea, Chester, Corinth, 

 Coventry, Craftsbury, Danville, Derby (see Fig. 77), Dummerston, Eden, Elmore, Glover, Greensboro, 

 Hancock, Hardwick, Hartford, Holland, Hydepark, Jamaica, Londonderry, Lowell, Ludlow, Marsh- 

 field, Montpelier, Moretown, Morristown, Newfane, Norwich, Peacham, Plymouth, Putney, Pownal, 

 Randolph, Eochester, Eockingham, Eoyalton, Eyegate, St. Johnsbury, Springfield, Thetford, Townshend, 

 Troy, Waitsfield, Walden, Wardsboro, Warren, Washington, Waterbury, Waterford, Weathersfield, 

 Westminster, Westmore, Williamstown, Windsor, Woodbury, Woodstock, Wolcott and Worcester. If 

 any one wishes for the particulars concerning these beds, they will be found described as muck in the Second 

 Geological Eeport of Prof. Adams. 



CALCAREOUS DEPOSITS FROM WATER. 



Most of the mineral springs in the State deposit more or less carbonate of lime in the form of tufa. In 

 the northeast part of Middlebury are several associated springs which deposit a small amount of very porous 

 tufa. The mineral springs of Williamstown deposit a more solid tufa (No. /g in the Cabinet), as does 

 also a spring in the north part of Monkton, in which abundant bubbles of carbonic acid gas are constantly 

 rising with much vivacity. These tufas consist chiefly of slender anastomosing stems, which are more or 

 less covered with minute delicate spines and tubercles. 



Examples are more common, in which, without any constant spring, tufa accumulates at the base and 

 sides of hills and cliffs of calcareous and calciferous rocks. On the sides of the Lonerock Point, Burlington, 

 and along the same bluff .as far as St. Albans, it collects in the crevices of the precipice, and occasionally 

 incrusts and fills pieces of delicate moss. On the west side of a cliff of Eed Sandrock, in the south 

 part of Snake Mountain, Bridport, near the house of a Mr. Frost, is a deposit, which has been called 



