SELECTION OF PEAT LANDS FOR DIFFERENT USES 13 
purpose of the peat area, however, the fact should not be lost sight of 
that the rate and nature of the decomposition process depend for their 
continuation in large part upon the character of the peat material 
below the surface. It is of great economic importance, therefore, to 
select profiles which contain a large proportion of the nonfibrous 
fraction of organic matter in every layer of peat. Areas of coarsely 
fibrous types of peat, which decompose but slowly and by the action 
of a very limited number of microorganisms, are better suited for the 
preparation of shredded stable litter and composts (10). 
One of the most important cultural operations necessary on units 
of peat land represented by profiles 2, 2-1-2, 3-1-2, and 2-3-2 in 
Plate 1 is the frequent use of heavy rollers to compact the soil.. Imple- 
ments such as plows, macerators, and tractors require sufficient wheel 
surface to carry their own weight on the soft, spongy ground. Appl 
cations of the liquid portion of barnyard manure are necessary from 
time to time to hasten a favorable decomposition of the fibrous por- 
tion of organic matter and an accumulation of available nitrogen 
through the activity of bacteria which fix atmospheric nitrogen. By 
tillage, such peat land may be made sufficiently productive later to 
justify intensive cropping. 
Areas of woody peat land are illustrated in Plate 6, 4, and by the 
profiles 3, 2-3, and 2-1-3 in Plate 1. A layer of woody material 
represents moderately disintegrated, dark-brown plant remains from 
swamp forests, more or less fragmented and neither strongly acid nor 
alkaline. The water level during the time of formation was suffi- 
ciently below the surface to favor a fair degree of decomposition by 
fungi and bacteria. Woody peat areas require more expense and 
labor in clearing and tillage, Put they are usually peat lands of 
good productive power. Brush may be cleared at comparatively low 
cost by means of tractors equipped with wide wheels. A crop of 
corn or pasture of clover and tame grasses may be obtained without 
incurring the expense of removing the roots and logs. In general, 
shallow cultivation gives more satisfactory results than deep culti- 
vation. Stable manure is not profitably employed upon this type 
of peat land, except for occasional light applications. Areas with 
cross sections such as are shown in profiles 1-2-3, 1-3-2, and 2-3-1 
in Plate 1 are preferred for truck growing and market gardening, but 
the slower decomposition of coarsely fibrous or woody layers may 
yield material less readily available for the nutrition of crops and 
microorganisms. The whole process of transformation of the organic 
material may become changed for a time and injure the crops. With 
careful selection of the area, a natural wood lot may be conserved 
after drainage; this will supply the needs for rough timber, poles, 
fence posts, and fuel. 
The separation and selection of peat lands based on the character 
of their respective profile sections will make practices consistent for 
different conditions and material. The structural framework, when 
properly analyzed, serves a very concrete purpose. It brings out the 
conditions under which excavating, draining, fertilizing, and preparing 
a seed bed should take place, and it indicates the cropping system 
which the individual areas of peat can best maintain. The method 
herein proposed for distinguishing between type units may prove 
helpful also in designing and constructing road or pile foundations and 
similar work where different profile features indicate a wide range of