50 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



ter, had been enclosed and embanked from the sea or tide, and 

 was then, having received a dressing of loam of two inches 

 thickness, from a neighboring bank, sown with a mixture of 

 grass seed, and afterwards constantly depastured by stock, it was 

 found, after a lapse of several years, to be completely decomposed ; 

 and the spade which I thrust into it brought up what appeared 

 to be nothing else than a bed of rich vegetable mould, without 

 any appearance of fibrous matter, other than the roots of the 

 grass on the surface. It is found, here, that the tendency of clay 

 or marl is to sink down into the peat, and therefore the dressing 

 requires to be occasionally renewed. They recommend to apply 

 the quantity, which may be deemed ultimately sufficient for the 

 reclamation of the bog, in successive small quantities, rather 

 than at once. Sand and gravel, from their greater specific grav 

 ity, will, of course, have a greater tendency to bury themselves 

 than any other applications. 



10. MANURES FOR PEAT. Of the manures applied to the im 

 provement of peat land, night soil is deemed to stand at the head. 

 This is not usually applied alone, but mixed, as above stated, 

 with coal-ashes, or otherwise compounded with loam or with 

 peat itself. In the latter case, it is advised that the peat should 

 be dry, and then reduced to a fine state, so as to absorb the 

 liquid portions of the night soil. By whatever means heat can 

 be produced in a heap of peat, whether by the interleaving of 

 layers of fresh horse-dung, or otherwise, the peat will be reduced 

 to a fine condition for composting. The subject of forming peat 

 compost will more properly come under the head of manures. 

 Bone-dust is stated to have been applied with advantage to peat 

 lands, but I am not in possession of any detailed facts or trials 

 on the subject. Mr. Cooke, an intelligent farmer, recommends 

 this application ; and Mr. Pusey, M. P., an agricultural authority 

 entitled to the highest confidence, has tried it with success. 

 The application referred to above, of four tons of lime, five hun- 

 red weight of salt, and ten hundred weight of guano, is quite 

 worthy of notice. The use or advantage of the salt I am unable 

 to explain. This subject has been greatly controverted, and 

 seems still left in doubt. Sir Humphry Davy inculcates that 

 a certain amount of salt tends to promote decomposition ; but, 

 beyond that, its effects are directly the reverse, being preservative, 



