386 On Paring ancl Burn'wg Peat-Mofs Soils. Nov. 



2l\\o try fome espeiirnents ; which, if fuccefsful, flinll be commu- 

 nicated to Novice Junior, through the channel of your Maga- 

 zine. I am, Sir, your very humble fervant, 



j^yrjlyire, 28. March, I 803. D. 



FOR THE FARMERS MAGAZINE. 



On improving Peat-BogSy by Paring and Burning, ExiraEled^ by 

 pervijjjion, from Mr Steele* s Manufcript Hijlory of Peat-mofs. 



After a peat-mofs hath been efFe£lually drained, although 

 it will, of its own accord, in time, produce plenty of grafs for 

 cattle i yet it is expedient, in order to obtain quickly the bell 

 cr<^p3, to level, pare, and burn irs furface. 



Some moilcs have been pitted for fuel •, and the generality of 

 thofe that are in a (late cf nature, have a very unequal furface, 

 rifing into hillocks of a foft and fungous texture. The pits 

 lliould be filled up with a portion of wliat is pared off the hil- 

 locks ; and the remainder of the fubftance of thefe hillocks, 

 and, in general, all the loofe, foft furface of the bog, (hould 

 be burnt. Some inches deep, alfo, of the former peat furface, 

 /hould be pared off and burnt. 



In the Agricultural Report for Suffolk, the following juft re- 

 mark is made on this fubject : * It is fcarceiy poilible to bring 

 boggy, moory, peat foils, from a flate of nature into cultiva- 

 tion, without the afiiftance of fire ; which never fails, but be- 

 caufe the men employed do not pare deep enough. ' 



Thomas Kinnear Efq. of Kinloch, in the county of Fife, be- 

 gan to improve a very deep peat-mofs on his eftate, about four- 

 teen years ago. It was then covered with heath, and did not 

 yield the value of fixpence per acre. He has now let part of 

 it for upwards of 2I. per acre. 



After draining this mofs, Mr Kinnear cat off, with a com- 

 mote fpade, all the heights and rifing tufts of the foil, and alfo 

 a great deal of the coarfe peat, full of recent fibrous roots; 

 and what remained of the turfs, after filling up holes, and le- 

 velling inequalities, were collected together, and piled up in 

 heaps to dry, and thereafter burnt, and the afhes fpread on the 

 furface, fo as to cover it nearly half an inch in thicknefs. 



The afhes, as foon as produced, were fpread and mixed with 

 the peat foil, to prevent their becoming the fport of the winds, 

 or being exhaufled in detached fpoLs by rains. 



From the efFe£lual drainage which this peat-bog received, it 

 funk and confolidatcd, fo as to be able to bear a plough and 

 horfes in the courfe of the fecond year after it was drained. 

 This gentleman attributes a great deal to the allies thus obtained 



from 



