Excerpt from Peat: Essays on Its Origin, Uses and Distribution in Michigan

When allowed to remain exposed to the air, in the presence of mois ture, it is well known that most forms of vegetable matter rot, and finally disappear entirely, and such decay has been described as a form of oxidation,1 similar to, if not identical with that which occurs when the same sort of material is burned; that Is, as a purely chemical process. This process is not, however, directly due to the action of the air, or any of its gaseous constituents, or to moisture. Perfectly dry vegetable matter will keep indefinitely in the air, as is shown by in numerable articles in common use. In like manner, we find that wood and similar material of vegetable origin will keep for very long periods of time when entirely submerged in water. The decay of vegetable mat ter is really a series of complicated changes, due to the growth and development of living organisms in the decaying matter. These use part of the material of which the vegetable tissue is composed for their own nourishment and growth. And thus break it down into simpler com pounds. The organisms which thus produce decay are mainly plants of simple structure. And often of microscopic size, and when they are not so small. Their lack of color, and their intimate association with the tissues in which they grow, render them very inconspicuous. These plants are bacteria and fungi, and are aided in bringing about de composition by many types of animals.

Like all other plants, these decay-producing forms need both air and moisture in order to grow, and, moreover, the moisture must be present in proper amount, too much water being as detrimental to their growth as too little, and where air is excluded they do not thrive.

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