PLANTING. M 



7th. Fertile peat moss, incumbent on clay or marl. 



Fine siliceous sand 231 



Undecompounded vegetable fibre . . 13 



Decomposing vegetable fibre . . .57 



Silica, or impalpable earth of flints . .50 



Alumina, or pure matter of clay , . . .18 



Soluble matter, principally vegetable extract . . 4 



Oxide of iron . . 



Moisture and loss . . .25 



^400 



This variety of peat soil when prepared for planting 1 by draining off the 

 superfluous moisture, with which it is found almost always saturated, is 

 capable of growing very profitable trees, as the birch, abele, poplar, willow, 

 and even the Scotch fir. A piece of ground of this nature, prepared by 

 cutting open drains at such distances from each other, as to leave a sufficient 

 breadth or body of earth to retain a due proportion of moisture in dry 

 weather, and yet prevent saturation of * moisture in the wettest weather, 

 was planted with a variety of trees. The trees above mentioned 

 succeeded remarkably well, and made an improved return of a hundred 

 per cent, in comparison to that afforded by the natural produce of the 

 surface. The following variety of peat, which is not uncommon, is to be 

 carefully distinguished from the above : 



8th. Inert* peat soil. 



Fine pure siliceous sand . . 29 



Inert vegetable matter destructible by fire . . 289 



Alumina . . . . 14 



Oxide of iron . 30 

 Soluble vegetable extractive matter, sulphate of iron, and 



sulphate of potash . . .11 



Sulphate of lime . . .12 



Loss and moisture , .15 



"400 



The outward characters or appearance of this soil is so similar to those 

 of the first-mentioned variety of peat, that they are scarcely to be dis- 

 tinguished by common observation. The above soil, in its natural state, 

 is absolutely sterile. Large applications of caustic lime and of common 

 salt, in a smaller proportion, had the effect of improving the nature of this 

 soil so much, as to render it capable of vegetating turnip seed, and of 

 bringing the roots to the size of small turnips. It has not been proved, 

 however, what the results of planting forest-trees might be on this soil, 

 improved in the manner now stated. 



9th. Chalky soil, incumbent on chalk-rock. 



Calcareous sand * . . 280 



Carbonate of lime .60 



Decomposing vegetable fibre . . 5 



Silica . . . .28 



Alumina . . .10 



Oxide of iron . .8 



Vegetable and saline soluble matters .4 



Moisture and loss . . 5 



400 



* The inert or sterile property of this peat appears to arise chiefly from the excess of 

 sulphate of iron and sulphate of potash and lime which it contains. When burnt, the 

 ashes are found to be a valuable manure for chalky soils, 



