Cultivation of Moorland. 375 



plan of subsequent tillage is adopted, the growth of potatoes is 

 found to be one of the most productive and profitable root-crops, 

 but on reclaimed lands there is no doubt of raising succulent crops 

 of any kind, or of tlieir weight being proportioned to the spirited 

 culture of the land. Not so with the cereal crops, as they are 

 generally too luxuriant in their growth, and become faulty from 

 the softness of their straw. The laying down of such lands into 

 permanent grass, after some few root-crops have been grown, will 

 be found the more safe and profitable plan, being more in accord- 

 ance with the soil, situation, and hal)it of such lands as are yet 

 too full of vmdecayed vegetable matter for the growth of corn. 



Amongst the more prominent results in the reclaiming of peat 

 or flow mosses are those recorded in the Society's Journal, vol. x, 

 p. 1, and contained in the Prize Report of the Farming of 

 Lancashire, viz. Chatt-Moss. This extensive moss is situated 

 within a few miles of Manchester; its area is about 6000 acres. 

 IN'lany had been the attempts to drain this morass previous to the 

 period of 1834, when a more comprehensive view of its form, 

 depth, character, and outfall was taken, and these obstacles 

 mainly overcome. The triumpli is now nearlv complete. An 

 ingenious plan of applying marl upon the drained surface has 

 done much for its solidity in the outset. Other agents were 

 subsequently employed upcm remaining portions, none affording 

 better results than tlie application of " lime and salt" as a top- 

 dressing : this corrected the mossy tendency of the soil, and 

 proved of infinite value. The report above referred to is worthy 

 of careful perusal, and renders any further detailed accounts 

 unnecessary, beyond the practical remark, that, by whatever 

 means these bogs are reclaimed, certain it is that no other 

 meadows surpass them, and that they rise to a marketable value 

 corresponding to that attained by other lands. 



Tops of Hills. — On the summit of hill-lands occur the more 

 general or conunon peats, such as are usually cut for fuel : these, 

 having been occasioned by stagnant water upon a comparatively 

 level base, which has no natural draina'ie, are left dependent 

 upon tlie sun's rays for evaj)orating its accumulated moisture, to 

 the no small annoyance of a surrounding district. These, by a 

 nice art in the adjustment of outfalls and levels, may be much 

 improved by open surface gutters, whorel)y even occasional hill 

 springs may be led into them and carried along to some con- 

 venient sh)j)e for irriiration, hy means of slightlv inclined gutters, 

 taking care to avoid the injury of too rapid a descent alter heavy 

 rains. 'I'hese tributary streams empty into others of somewhat 

 larger dimensions, and these again info a " floating gutter " for 

 spreading these so accumulated surface WcXters over the mossy 



