388 On Paring dnd Burnltig Peat-Mofs Soils, Nor. 



formed cultivators. In the ftatlftical Survey of Kilkenny, in 

 1802, by William Tighe Efquire, there is a valuable communi- 

 cation of the experience of Mr St George on this fubjed, in 

 which he advifes farmers fimply to drain their peat bogs, af- 

 furing them they will foon after ferve for pafturc ; and to have 

 patience, after draining, till they are confolidated, before they 

 attempt any further improvement •, ever recollefting to keep a 

 free paflage for the water to go off. Thereafter he adds, bogs 

 may be ploughed and burnt, and fown with grafs feeds, by 

 which good meadow grafs will be produced for fattening (heep. 

 After which, as a further improvement, they may be gravelled 

 on the furface. 



The Agricultural Report of Pembrokefliire by Mr Haffal, con- 

 tains likewife the following notice. Mr Campbell of Stackpole- 

 court has made fuch an improvement on the bog of Caftle- 

 martln-Corfe, of feveral hundred acres, as muft convince every 

 obferver what ground of this fort is capable of. It is now 

 drained, enclofed, and divided by ditches, moft of which are 

 planted with thriving willows. It has been improved by paring 

 and burning. No agricultural improvement, Mr HafTal adds, 

 that he has been a witnefs to in the courfe of an extenfive and 

 Jong experience, has fucceeded better than this undertaking, 

 the fubjecl of which promifes, in a few years, to become fome 

 of the mod valuable land in the county. 



The Communications to the Board of Agriculture, publifned 

 in 1802, contain alfo fome obfervations on paring and burning 

 peat foil, by men of great knowledge in agriculture. Mr Clofe, 

 in his EfTay, mentions an improvement on a peat foil by Sir 

 Henry Peyton, where great crops were produced by paring and 

 burning. He adds, no foils can pay better for paring and burn- 

 ing than thefe, as the operation of paring cofts very little, and 

 it Is a very efRcacious drefling on the fpot ; and, the fame foil 

 continuing for fome yards below the furface, it is an inexhauf- 

 tible fund of vegetable food. 



In another ElTiiy to that Board, the Reverend Arthur Young 

 obferves, that paring and burning, with a proper courfe of 

 crops, is fafe on any foil, and eilentially neceffary to fome. 

 Peat is the richefl foil in the world, and therefore burning the 

 moft univerfally pra£lifed on it. * Whatever variety of fenti- 

 ments there may be on this method (fays he) for other foils, 

 here there can be none. The univerfal practice, from the flat 

 fens of Cambridgefliirc to the fwelling bogs of Ireland, on the 

 mountainous moors of the north of England, and on the rough 

 fedgy bottoms in almoft every part of the kingdom, when frefti 

 lands are broken up by men of real practice and obfcryation, 



