PRELIMINARY REPORT ON PEAT. 
313 
ASSOCIATED PRODUCTS. 
Most peat deposits contain other things besides peat, which de¬ 
serve to be considered in estimating the probable profits to be de¬ 
rived from any contemplated peat utilization project. 
A peat deposit which has been worked for its diatoms (“in¬ 
fusorial earth”) alone has been described on page 290. This 
material is used as a non-conducting covering for steam-pipes, as 
a polishing powder, and as an ingredient of dynamite. Deposits 
containing diatoms in such abundance must be rather rare. Ac¬ 
cording to Parsons (see bibliography) there are two such deposits 
in the state of New York. 
The numerous shells in the peat around Lake Panasoffkee (see 
page 280) might be of some importance if this peat was used in 
the manufacture of fertilizer filler. 
Marl of a composition well suited to the manufacture of Port¬ 
land cement has been found associated with peat bogs in Michigan 
and a few other states in the glaciated region,* and bog iron ore 
was formerly the basis of an important industry in the coastal 
plain of New Jersey. No special search has been made for these 
materials in Florida, but it is quite likely that they could be found; 
especially the former, on account of the abundance of limestone 
in this state. 
The sphagnum (peat moss) which is so abundant in many 
northern and European peat bogs is used in some places for stable 
litter and bedding, very extensively for packing cuttings and nursery 
stock to protect them from cold and dryness, and for several other 
purposes. Sphagnum is not very abundant in Florida, but there 
may be a few places in the state, such as some of our bays, slash- 
pine bogs, and non-alluvial swamps, where it could be collected 
profitably. 
A kind of coarse hay, more suitable for bedding than for 
fodder, is cut from many northern salt marshes. 
Most of the trees which characterize many of our peat deposits 
are of some value for their wood or sundry other products. Be¬ 
low is a list, with common names and economic properties (if 
known ) of the kinds of trees which I have seen growing on peat 
in Florida. Their distribution within and without the state is 
given in the catalogue of peat-forming plants a little farther on. 
It is interesting to note that the plants which form the best peat 
furnish neither food nor medicine for man or beast, with very few 
exceptions.f 
*See Eckel, U. S. Geol. Surv. Bull. 243: 34-36, 104-142, 194-197, 252-253, 1905 
tAccording to Dr. Hilgard (Soils, pp. 495, 512) bog plants are commonly 
characterized by having small seeds- 
