r86 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



An analysis made by the writer of a peat sample from the 

 property of Charles Doty near Ilion gave: 



Moisture 19 



Volatile hydrocarbons 62. 6 



Fixed carbon 6 



Ash 11.8 



99.4 



Central and western New York. This area includes several large 

 swamps, which are however either underlain by peat or covered 

 with a thick growth of cattails and grasses. 



The production of good peat in areas of the last type is inter- 

 fered with from two causes. In the first place, the water level 

 does not remain constant, thereby interfering with the con- 

 tinued accumulation and decay of vegetable matter out of con- 

 tact with the air. Secondly, the fact that these swamps are 

 traversed by streams insures the deposition of much mud with 

 the vegetable matter. 



The largest swamp area in this district is the Montezuma 

 marshes, located at the north end of Cayuga lake. These cover 

 an area about 8 miles long and 3 miles wide, which is filled in 

 most places by a thick growth of cattails and aquatic weeds, 

 while setting through it is a rather rapid current bearing much 

 sediment in suspension, a large amount of which becomes en- 

 tangled in the plant stems. Some day when the marsh becomes 

 filled, the land thus formed will be valuable for farming pur- 

 poses, but it is of no value as a source of peat. 



The formation of lakes in a drift-covered region is well seen 

 in the drumlin area of north Cayuga county in the region around 

 Fairhaven, for the interspaces between the hills are liberally 

 dotted with ponds showing all stages of filling by vegetable 

 growth. This same region extends westward into Wayne 

 county and eastward into Oswego county. In the latter, addi- 

 tional marshy tracts are found northeast of Hannibal as well 

 as in the valley of Mud pond, north of North Hannibal. 



An area similar to the Montezuma marshes is that known as 

 Oak Orchard swamp, which about fills a quadrangle whose cor- 



