FIVE IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS OF GERMAN PEAT MOSS 
l! 
The most important item in good soil is undoubtedly vegetable 
matter. The most useful form of vegetable matter for soil use is 
German peat moss. 
Nature never produced good soil without putting into it a large 
amount of vegetable matter. Bis inlie grated rock of any size from fine 
gravel to clay when mixed with a sufficient quantity of properly 
decomposed vegetable matter will form soil of excellent texture. 
No other known substance will replace vegetable matter for this pur¬ 
pose. Here are the five most important functions of German peat moss 
in building soil. 
1. It corrects the physical condition. It will transform adobe 
or clay soil into the finest loam you have ever seen. It 
will bind together and add substarce to a sandy soil. 
2. It holds the moisture, yet permits drainage to the proper 
extent. Moisture is essential, but a soggy soil condition is 
detrimental. German peat moss corrects both conditions. 
3. It promotes root growth. The growth of a plant above the 
ground will be in proportion to its growth underground and no 
other substarce known will promote root growth as will German 
peat moss. 
4-. It promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria. Bacteria in the 
soil are absolutely essential to the proper growth of plant 
life. But there are many kinds of bacteria,and useful bacteria 
will only thrive under certain favorable conditions.They 
cannot thrive in dry,hard soil. If the soil is soggy benefi¬ 
cial bacteria are displaced by detrimental bacteria, German 
peat moss in the soil creates a condition favorable to bac¬ 
teria which promote useful plant life, 
5* It releases plant food. Soil contains plant food locked up 
In intricate compounds which in their natural state plants 
cannot make use of. These plant food elements are usually 
released through the action of acids produced by ^he decompo¬ 
sition of vegetable matter. German peat moss is not a plant 
food but by virtue of its action in the soil plant food is 
made available. 
