74 ■ NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



represents the deposit of about 6 feet mentioned in the old 

 report. The swamp is used as a pasture and is covered by 

 heath plants, grasses and some moss, though the amount of the 

 last is small. 



The pond just west of Amenia village shows several swampy 

 areas, but they are small and have not reached the stage where 

 bushes begin to grow. 



Cicero swamp. The Cicero swamp, one of the best large de- 

 posits of peat in the State, is very easily studied. This swamp 

 is about a mile and a half south of Oneida lake, and at its 

 broadest part is about 2 miles wide, while its extreme length 

 is about 25 miles. Three streams, the Canaseraga and Chit- 

 tenango creeks, flowing into Oneida lake, and Mud creek flowing 

 into Oswego river, pass through different parts of the swamp. 

 The eastern part, sometimes known as the Cowaselon swamp, 

 has been drained by the Douglas ditch, and the reclaimed land 

 has been cleared and put into a high state of cultivation, but 

 the soil is so light that rows of cedars and poplars must be 

 planted as a wind-break to keep it from blowing away. 



In the uncleared portions the original vegetation continues to 

 flourish, and the dense forests of soft maple, elm and shrubbery 

 still stand, growing on an accumulation of leaves and tree trunks 

 which is rapidly being converted into peat. Though no sphag- 

 num moss is to be seen in this portion of the swamp, hypnum 

 and other mosses are abundant, and the growth of ferns, partic- 

 ularly the New York fern, is luxuriant. 



Sections in various places show the top stratum of peat to be 

 fairly uniform in depth; but the underlying strata are variable 

 in thickness, as will be seen by a comparison of the following 

 sections : 



