viii Proceedings. [November 28th, iqi6. 



Professor WEISS brought: to the notice of the members a 

 pamphlet published in Edinburgh in 1815, entitled "Directions 

 for Preparing Manure from Peat." The anonymous author of 

 this pamphlet, a Scottish landowncn-, conducted a series of ex- 

 periments with considerable insight, and succeeded in utilising 

 with great benefit for agricultural purposes a mass of peat moss 

 which had been dug out ni the making of an artificial lake. 

 The method consisted in spreading alternate layers, about 

 6 inches deep, of peat and fairly fresh dung, until a heap of 

 about four or five feet was constructed. The whole was then 

 covered with peat and left for some months. After a short 

 time the heap got into heat, and when this had passed off the 

 peat had been transformed into a perfect compost as effective 

 weight for weight as farmyard manure. 



Peat made up in the same way with seaweed became 

 similarly heated and underwent decomposition. It was found 

 that it was unnecessary to add lime in the preparation of this 

 manure. In all probability, in the method recommended by 

 the author, the acidity of the peat becomes neutralised by the 

 ammonia contained in the dung, while decay-producing bac- 

 teria may percolate mto the peat m addition to those normally 

 contained in it, but whose activity is inhibited by the presence 

 of humic acid. 



Professor Weiss then referred to more recent experiments 

 made in America, with a view to determining in how far bog- 

 water retards or stimulates the growth of plants. In these 

 experiments Dachowski has shown that while untreated bog- 

 water inhibits the normal growth of plants, neutralised bog- 

 water stimulates more particularly the development of roots, 

 and hence increases the absori)tive capacity of the plant. 



The method of preparation of " bacterised peat " (humogen) 

 was also explained, and ^'arious experiments which have been 

 made to test the value of this manure, were discussed. 



General Meeting, November 28th, 1916. 



Mr. T. A. Coward, F.Z.S., F.E.S., Vice-President, 

 in the Chair. 



Mr. Frederick Maurice Rowe, M.Sc, Research Chemist 

 HI Dyestuffs, The Municipal School of Technology, Manchester, 

 5, Woodbine Terrace, Latchford, was elected an Ordinary 

 Member of the Society. 



