IMPORTANT TYPES OF PEAT MATERIAL. 7 



visoiy meusiircs it is poabible lo forestiill mistaken cli'ort, to weed out 

 undesirable enterprises, to select such deposits as can profitably be 

 left as permanent "water-storing" reservoirs, preserved in their nat- 

 ural condition, and to assist individual or cooperative attempts in 

 maintaining in an efficient manner those projects which are ap- 

 proved by agricultural merit, by economic need, by favorable mar- 

 kets and transportation facilities, or by the promotion of public 

 health. 



On many of the peat deposits which are peculiar in their tj^pe of 

 material, in acidity, or in salt content, imitation of practice has led to 

 their use for crops grown in succession at the expense of other agri- 

 cultural industries, such as tillage farming combined wdth pasture, 

 live-stock, or dairy farming, which would have been more suitable 

 and woukl more regularly produce profitable returns. It is to be re- 

 gretted that practically no extensive use has been made of the grasses, 

 cereals, and fruit trees which are suitable for peat-land types and 

 could be profitably developed. The natural extension of crops pos- 

 sible on peat areas is deserving of more systematic attempts, because 

 it will be necessary to devote unusual attention in the near future 

 to protect reclaimed deposits of peat now under cultivation against 

 preventable difficulties. The more advanced agriculture becomes, 

 the more diversified are its crop activities and the less will be the 

 risk which attends concentration in a single field of cropping activity. 

 Any work with the view of determining what methods of diversified 

 agriculture are best adapted to and would benefit a certain locality or 

 region, whether carried on by private individuals, communities, scien- 

 tific institutions, or manufacturing interests, would prevent a great 

 deal of loss to the owners of peat land and others uninformed of the 

 limitations of different classes of peat deposits and their materials. 



With the greater interest in live-stock production, the value of 

 many abandoned peat areas as potential beef or cattle producing 

 lands will probably again become enhanced, and it will be necessary 

 to devote more attention than has been given to mixtures of grasses 

 best suited to the several types of peat material or to their drainage 

 capacity. The fact is not to be obscured that the war-time readjust- 

 ments, aside from labor problems and the demands upon transporta- 

 tion, will tend to increase rather than lessen the need to convert 

 forage and other crops into higher priced finished products. 



Another urgent necessity is the extension of desirable peat-land 

 areas for staple crops, notably certain cereals, if the land is annually 

 to turn in its share and render its adequate service to the country and 

 to the farmer. Special varieties of cereals, such as oats, rye, barley, 

 and even wheat, are grown with success on northern European 

 peat lands; their adoption in this country would contribute greatly 



