. A regional geography of the world, with diagrams and entirely new maps . e river valleys, and although most of thewater-partings exceed 250 feet there are only a fewplaces where 500 feet is exceeded. The limestone iscovered by an almost continuous sheet of boulder claydeposited by the ice sheets which once covered the clay deposits are, however, not so prevalent west ofthe Shannon as in the eastern part of the plain, andtherefore the western plain is poorer and less surface of the Central Plain is dotted by small,moraine-dammed lakes, hut most of the large lakesoccupy ho
. A regional geography of the world, with diagrams and entirely new maps . e river valleys, and although most of thewater-partings exceed 250 feet there are only a fewplaces where 500 feet is exceeded. The limestone iscovered by an almost continuous sheet of boulder claydeposited by the ice sheets which once covered the clay deposits are, however, not so prevalent west ofthe Shannon as in the eastern part of the plain, andtherefore the western plain is poorer and less surface of the Central Plain is dotted by small,moraine-dammed lakes, hut most of the large lakesoccupy hollows produced by the solution of thelimestone. Bogs.—One-eighth of the total area of Ireland iscovered by bogs, of which the largest and best knownis the Bog of Allen, chiefly in Kings County east ofthe Shannon. Bogs are soft, saturated and spongyareas in which much decaying and decayed vegetablematter is present. They form in shallow, stagnant lakes IRELAND 95 or on cold, damp, mountain surfaces. In the formerplaces they are lar<^^cly produced by sphagnum, a moss. L3ni] over 600 feet,6aies to Railways Scale or HO esQ ^ tp 3P *fi sp V THB MAPPA CO_ LONOCU. Fig. 31.—Ireland. Relief and Routes. which will in time cover the whole surface of the lake,and finally fill it with decayed or decaying vegetationwhich assumes the appearance of a stiff fibrous mud. 96 THE BRITISH ISLES This is called peat. The peat is cut into brick-shapedpieces, and then stacked until dry enough to be usedas fuel whose heating power is about half that of is also used as a constituent in the manufacture ofmanures. In an almost coal-less country like Irelandpeat is naturally extensively used for fuel. One drawback of the bogs is, the great hindrance theypresent to means of communication, for all main roadsand railways must either avoid them or be built uponcauseways resting on the solid rock below the bog. Asthis is frequently from 20 to 50 feet below the bo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectgeography, bookyear19
