l8c3« €Ji the Fjlate of Diinriichen* 155 



middle of It, and through a fand bank of the depth of thirty 

 feet which obdructed the illue of the water. The drainage, 

 however, having been intended for the purpofe only of ob- 

 taining the marl, no artificial general improvement of the fur- 

 face of the ground has yet taken place; but by every appear- 

 ance, when it fliall be done, the crops afforded will be uncom- 

 monly luxuriant, from the decompofed nature of t]\e mofs, 

 caufed by its being fo long in a drained (late. Mr Dempllifr 

 hath enclofed, levtdJed and dug over with the fpade about fix 

 acres of it, v^hich he mean.s to fow with grafs feeds next fpring, 

 without any corn crop. 



Here are obfervable fome holes which had been dug to the 

 bottom of the mofs, containing ftagnated water, but now almoit 

 filled up again, to the level of the general furface, by bog mofs 

 or fog (fpbagnum paliijlre ) not yet folid *, a plain example of the 

 quick reproduction of peat matter by the growth of vegetables 

 of the mofs or mufc'i tribe. 



It is alfo to be remarked, that the peat earth at tlie bottom of 

 this mofs, which appears to have a fm.all mixture of clay, is 

 very folid, and, when cut into peats and dried, makes excellent 

 fuel •, and Mr Dempfter obferves that firm peats of this fort, 

 and particularly what is found on fome of the Highland grounds 

 of Scotland is very little inferior to coal. He burns fuch peats 

 commonly himfelf, and has fold many hundred pounds worth 

 to his neighbours from this mofs. Their allies alfo are valuable 

 for manure, and, by How and confined combullion, may be pro- 

 duced from the peat in confiderable quantity. 



The mofs of Dunnichen in the pariih of the fame name, 

 now partly under culture, is fituated near four hundred feet 

 above the level of the fea in a fmall valley kept wet, like that of 

 Refteneth, by a copious fpring of water, and alfo by furface 

 waters defcending in rainy feafons from the higher grounds. 



It confided of fifty-nine acres, moftly of peat foil, (hallow at 

 the margin, but deepening to fifteen feet towards the middle. 

 The drainage of it, which was accomplilhed forty years ago, at 

 the expence of 50!., was originally intended merely fof the pur- 

 pofe of procuring, more eafily, peats for fuel, of which the 

 country Hood in great need. 13eneath the peat foil was found, 

 on cutting a deep level, a layer of fand mixed with a Jittle mud, 

 fix feet thick, and, immediately under the fand, in fome places, 

 beds of marl, mixed, however, confiderably with fand. 



On the fubje(Sl of marl as connected with mofs, it may 

 not be improper to obferve, that though the common practice 

 of fearching for marl is by the boring irons ufed in trying far 

 coal and other hard mineral fubdances, yet Pvlr Dempder very 

 judicioufly advifes rather to make ufe of a long wooden pole for 



this 



