IMPORTANT TYPES OF PEAT MATERIAL. 7 
visory measures it is possible to forestall mistaken effort, 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 type 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 with pasture, 
live-stock, or dairy farming, which would have been more suitable 
and would 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 
