198 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



as exploration is carried farther, the recorded, number will be much 

 greater. The depth of the Adirondack swamps is likely to be much 

 greater than most of the swamps in the central and western portions 

 of the State, though the few visited by the writer are not very deep." 



Details of occurrence. Mather ^ estimated that 1000 acres of 

 peat land were to be found in New York, Westchester and Putnam 

 counties, with a probable yield of 2,000,000 cords. Much of the 

 area, no doubt, has long since been converted to such use that the 

 peat is no longer- recoverable. This applies to New York and West- 

 chester counties particularl}^, but wild swamp lands are still to be 

 found in Putnam county. 



Orange county once contained 40,000 acres of peat swamps (Ries). 

 The largest single area is that of the Drowned Lands, west of 

 Warwick, which once covered 17,000 acres. A good part has been 

 drained and converted to agricultural use, but there are still areas 

 of open and forest-covered peat lands. Parsons found the peat to 

 vary from almost nothing to 18 feet in thickness. Measured sections 

 are reported by him as follows: Pine island, 18 feet, bottom not 

 reached; Black Walnut island, 18 feet, bottom not reached; one-half 

 of a mile west of Durandville, 16 feet; i| miles west of Durandville, 

 17 feet; one-half of a mile west of Big island, 12^ feet, bottom not 

 reached; i mile west of Big island, 12I feet, bottom not reached; 

 Florida, 18 feet, bottom not reached. 



The Grey court meadows, between Chester and Grey court along 

 the Erie Railroad, contain about 3000 acres of peat land now 

 employed in agriculture. 



Near Pine Plains, Dutchess county, peat is foimd on the margin 

 of Stissing pond and south of there along the valley. Mather 

 estimated 500 acres of a 6-foot bed in this vicinity, but Parsons's 

 tests indicated the peat to be patch^^. 



In northern New York occur numerous ponds, lakes and swamps 

 which contain more or less peat. An extensive tract of peat is 

 found on the line of the Champlain canal in Kingsbury township, 

 Washington county. Also in the vicinity of Port Edward and Glens 

 Falls in the Hudson valley are peat lands in areas of a few acres to 

 several hundred acres extent. Plants for utilizing the peat were erected 

 near Glens Falls some 40 years ago. One of these plants operated 

 in the Rosecrans swamp northeast of that city. A second plant 

 was built for working the peat between Glens Palls and French 

 mountain on the Lake George road. In neither case was any large 

 output made. 



■ ^ Geology of" First District of New York. Third Ann. Rep't, p. 74. 



