402 British Association for ifie Advancement of Science. 



of about three feet thick. It consists of the leaves and stems of 

 various mosses, the roots and fibres of many small aquatic and 

 marsh plants, &c. in the first stage of that very slow decomposition 

 which is the character of every peat moss. 



The fibres are tough, and retain perfectly, in most instances, their 

 original form, and are arranged more or less in parallel strata ; its 

 colour is a reddish brown, and its specific gravity, as obtained from 

 various bogs, varies from *360 to *650. It is proposed either to use 

 the fibre bleached from this for paper-making alone, or in place of 

 the various adulterations now used in paper from rags, such as 

 chalk, gypsum, clay, cotton jlyings, hair, leather-cuttings, hop-bines, 

 &c. 



The same material is capable without bleaching of being con- 

 verted into an excellent species of board paper or mill-board, by 

 simple pressure under an hydraulic or other press, and subsequent 

 saturation in an exhausted vessel, with glue and molasses, drying 

 oil, rosin, and oil, or any other suitable material. When so treated, 

 it will withstand well the action of high-pressure steam. 



This species of turf contains from 3 to 1 1 per cent, of ashes 

 when humid, and when dried, merely atmospherically, from 4 to 6 

 per cent, of water. The ashes are of a white or yellowish white 

 colour, and contain, 



Carbonate of lime 69*5 



Silica 3-0 



Alumina 17*0 



Peroxide of iron 8*0 



Loss 2*5 100. 



The author cannot account for the loss on this analysis, and has 

 been unable to repeat it. He states that ashes from the bottom of 

 the same bog where this red turf was obtained give a totally dif- 

 ferent result, viz. 



Carbonate of lime 21* 



Sulphate of lime 5*5 



Silica 24-5 



Alumina 26*3 



Oxide of iron 22-0 



Loss 07 100.' 



The fibrous matter of this red turf is intimately combined with 

 various complicated vegetable results of slow decomposition, but 

 containing in greatest proportion the extractive matter to which 

 Berzelius has given the name Geine, from yfj, terra. The extract 

 obtained from turf in the way about to be described seems to be 

 nearly the same as that which he describes, in fact to be ulmin in an 

 impure state. 



The specimen of turf to be bleached for paper is softened in cold 

 water until its parts by agitation will separate ; the finer particles 

 are washed off; the fibre which remains is digested in the cold with 

 a very dilute solution of caustic potass or soda, containing only 50 

 grains of alkali to a quart of water. The solution, containing the 

 geine in solution, is pressed from the fibres ; the latter are then 



