190s] TRANSEAU—BOGS OF THE HURON RIVER VALLEY 425 
B. CHEMICAL FACTORS.—1. Ground water—The ground water 
of the Huron basin derives its mineral constituents from the glacial 
drift. The following analyses show the character of the solution. 
Quantities are expressed in parts per million (31). 
| Organic} Total 
CaCO,| CaSO, | Fe.O;|MgCO;|K2SO, SiO. | NaCl | NasCO;|Na.SO,| and | mineral 
volatile | matter 
Y 
ig aad ; 
hiversity well. ; é .85 | 267.72 
An Atbor, E75. 001... 2.55 3.99| 60.58] 6.78 | 7.30} 4.48] 1.52 | 5-07] 3-95 7-7 
— PISO i.e ss 6.43| 89.36] 5:31 | 9-20] 4.88] 0-42 | 9-71 | 25.00 | 353-31 
Water works... . 289.00 39.00] 21.00) 100.00 T4.00] 35.00]....--erfereeers 71.00 498.00 
as Ce 156.00] 223.00] Tr. | 109.00 18,00] 62.00] 17.00 |.-+-+-- 14.00 | 585.00 
creek... . +| 128.00} 99.00] Tr. 83.00 25.00| 15.00] 25.00 |...++-- 14.00 | 375.00 
(NaK)| (NaK) 
oe be a BES ces 
It is to be noted that they are all high in calcium and magnesium 
content, and under favorable drainage conditions contain sufficient 
minerals for plant growth. The ground water is of especial impor- 
tance in the early stages of bog development, when the sedge and 
aquatic vegetation is dominant. With the further development of 
the Sedge zone and the formation of a thick peat deposit, its relation 
0 the vegetation becomes of less moment. There is a notable 
difference between the total mineral content of bog water and that 
of the soil waters adjoining. In the above table the total mineral 
fontent of the ground water varies from 267-7 to 585 parts per 
million. In three analyses of the bog water at the First Sister Lake 
ound the total mineral content to vary from 89.9 to 219 parts per 
million, the highest figure being that for the sample obtained near the 
Margin of the tamaracks, i. e., nearest the mineral soil. 
The absence of sphagnum from certain bogs has been explained 
by the presence of calcium salts (15, P- 235 16). In order » tg 
this Point, I have cultivated the species found in this vicinity in tap 
cussed later. he ash of sphagnum growing at 
er. I further found that the as It would seem, 
os Sister Lake contained 18 per cent. eects nce of 
refore, that, in so far as this vicinity is concerned, ae ae um 
calcareous waters will not explain the absence of species 0 sphagnum. 
