238 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



From what has been faid, it appears, that, 

 if iron could be made with peat, it would be 

 of great fervice, particularly in fome places 

 of North Britahi^ where peat is to be 

 had in plenty, along with iron, which now 

 lies unwrought for want of wood : and even 

 where wood may be found, if peat brought 

 to the confiftency I mention would do the 

 bufinefs, it would come cheaper than char'd 

 wood. Another advantage of this kind of 

 peat, would be the fmelting of lead with it 

 alone, which cannot well be done at prefent, 

 without the help of pit-coal, which in fome 

 places muft be brought from a coniiderable 

 diftance, and at no fmall charge. 



The other ufe I would propofe of peat, is 

 the employing it as dung, for the fertilizing 

 of ground, when prepared in the manner I 

 fliall afterwards mention. I am not igno- 

 rant, that the aflies of peats are ufed for that 

 purpofe with great advantage, not only by 

 themfelves, but likeways mixed with other 

 duns; ; Jind even the duft of peat, that re- 

 mains at the bottom of peat-ftacks j but in 

 that ftate it has not the effects of dung, nor 

 are its effeds equal to what they would be, 

 w-er€ it rightly prepared. Tofet this matter 



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