282 BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
minerals from the same hills, and is remarkably well-informed on 
many points of their Natural History. 
A Himalayan blackberry (Raspberry, it is called here) was succeeding 
very well with him, by enclosing every fruiting raceme in a tin box, 
within which they ripened. As, however, I hope to return and visit 
the Rajmahals, possibly with Major Napleton and Mr. Pontet for my 
companions, I shall be able, at a future time, to give you more infor- 
mation about them. 
BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, 
Friday, 6th July, 1849.—E. Doubleday, Esq., y. P., in the chair, 
which was afterwards taken by J. Miers, Esq., V.P., F.R.S.—Mr. 
Jasper W. Rogers read a paper on the Uses and Properties of Peat 
Moss, and the value of Peat Charcoal as a disinfectant and fertiliser. 
The object of the paper was to shew the useful purposes to which the 
bogs of Ireland could be applied by the extraction of Peat from them 
and its conversion into Charcoal. The Charcoal extracted from the 
Irish Peat was far preferable to wood charcoal ; and one of its greatest 
advantages was its effect as a disinfecting and deodorising agent; wood 
charcoal not possessing that property to nearly such an extent. It 
was, therefore, singular that now, when there is so much discussion 
about sanatory matters, an agent so powerful should have been 
overlooked. It was also valuable as a powerful absorbent, as it 
would absorb about eighty per cent. of water, and keep it for the 
benefit of the soil which might surround it, while it took up the greater 
portion of the obnoxious gases inherent in night-soil and sewage mat- 
ter, and se neutralized any bad effect which might result from 
It was therefore capable of being converted into a manure of 
üi des value, the proportions being two-thirds of night-soil to 
one-third of charcoal. It was impossible to find a better manure for 
the food of plants; for, containing a large quantity of carbon, 
it exhaled the ammonia and the salt which were in the night-soil—did 
not allow them to escape, but treasured them up, and in due time gave 
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