REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR AND STATE GEOLOGIST 1901 Y7ty 



Iron sulfid may also be present, and by its decomposition may 

 yield hydrogen sulfid, soluble ferrous iron compounds, or sul- 

 furic acid, all of which are harmful. The hydrogen sulfid may 

 be corrected by aeration, but the ferrous iron has to be changed 

 by similar treatment, with the addition of lime. Ferrous iron 

 is usually found over small areas only, which yield but slowly 

 to cultivation. 



Phosphate of iron or vivianite may be present in these marine 

 marshes, as well as other swamp deposits, and often forms blue 

 specks or spots. 



The saline character of these marine marshes also has to be 

 remedied; but, since the sodium chlorid, or common salt, is 

 easily soluble, drainage aided by rainfall soon washes it out of 

 the soil. 



The following analyses, give the composition of 



1 Mud from tidal flat 



2 Subsoil of an outer marsh 



3 Subsoil of an inner marsh which 



was partially drained 



>- At Oyster Bay N. Y. 



1 



2 



3 



.43 



.31 



.'41 



.57 



.57 



.68 



.16 



.14 



.12 



7.18 



5.36 



10.9 



2.16 



2.55 



3.56 



Lime 



Potash 



Phosphoric acid 



Organic 



Soluble in H 2 



The soil in each case would contain a much greater quantity 

 of organic matter. 



Cattail swamps. In many lakes and rivers of New York State 



considerable filling is going on, due in part to sediment but more 



largely to the rank growth of cattails. This produces a mixed 



deposit, which resembles peat little or not at all, but in some 



of the older reports seems to have been referred to under this 



name. 



Peat in New York State 



True sphagnum peat is not uncommon in the State of 

 New York. Areas underlain by muck, that is impure peat, con- 

 taining much mineral matter, are also very abundant, and often 



