256 



had already lost most of its leaves on the lower branches. The upper parts 

 of the two lowest branches, probably at some time bent down intentionally, 

 lay deep in the earth, but their tips had been turned upward. At the point 

 where the branch was bent (at the right in the figure) a strong root was 

 traceable which might have been produced when the still young branch tip 

 was covered with silt by the first floods. The increased nutrition, produced 

 by this root, showed itself in the development of a considerable number of 

 younger shoots, resembling an independent bushy growth. I noticed noth- 

 ing especial in the vigorous spruce plantations standing at some distance. 



Changes in Moor Soil Through Cultivation. 



One must determine finally how far the injurious factors of humus 

 soil show in cultivation and what changes it undergoes with cultivation. 

 "Sanding" has been discussed already. Fertilising comes next under con- 

 sideration, since the nutriment content especially in highland moors is so 

 scanty that only plants needing little nutriment and highly resistant to humic 

 acids thrive there (Sphagnum, Eriphorum, many Carex varieties, Calluna. 

 etc.). All fertilizers must act, first of all, by increasing those micro- 

 organisms which can decompose the soil, since in soils containing humic 

 acid, the bacterial flora is very scanty. Fabricius and v. Feilitzen^ gained 

 much information on the methods to be used in increasing the bacterial flora 

 of moor soils. Stalstrom- had already determined that draining the water 

 from moor soil, very poor in bacteria, naturally will increase the number of 

 organisms. This is especially significant for highland moors, since they have 

 not nearly as many bacteria as the lowland moors ; — a fact related to the 

 scanty nitrogen content of the highlands. Moor soil mixed, wdth clay or im- 

 proved by fertilizing, has a higher bacterial content. The bacterial flora re- 

 mains almost exclusively in the upper soil layer, 15 to 25 cm. thick. Fab- 

 ricius and V. Feilitzen also tested the moisture content in the upper soil layer 

 and found that, in uncultivated highland moors, this fell only from 90 to 87 

 per cent, by draining, while, on the other hand, it could fall to about 64 per 

 cent, with other cultural measures. These consisted in mixing the friable 

 soil with sand, with the result that vegetation of a different character de- 

 veloped. The soil temperature was lowest on the virgin moor. Simple 

 draining exerted but little influence (-|-o.3°C.), but cultivation gave a per- 

 manent increase of almost 2°C. In regard to the chemical composition, it 

 was found, as was to be expected, that the calcium content was very small 

 in natural highland moors and the nitrogen content equally scanty, while in 

 the lowland moors the latter was found to be satisfactory. The disappear- 

 ance of the humic acids through cultivation is very interesting. In the 



1 Fabricus, O., and Hjalmar von Feilitzen. Uebor den Gehalt an Bakterien in 

 jungfraulichem und kultiviertem Hochmoorboden auf dem Versuchsfelde des 

 Schwedischen Moorkulturvereins bei Flahult. CentralbL f. Bakteriolog-ie etc. II 

 Section, Vol. XIV, p. 161. 1905. 



^ Om lerslag-ningens betydelse. Finska Mosskulturftlreningens a,rsbok. 1898. p. 44. 



