198 ON THE USE OF CHARCOAL 



to obviate tlie suspicion that there is any difference in the 

 effect produced by the use of charcoal-ashes and the im})ure 

 variety of these ashes afforded by peat, I am readily supplied 

 with the means of doing so by a recent report by Mr. Peter 

 Mackenzie, of West Plean, near Stirling-. ^ He tells us 

 that he has been for some years past trying- experiments with 

 peat, cliarred peat, and peat-ashes, as a substitute for stable 

 manure, and for many kinds of crop g-rown by farmers and 

 g-ardeners. He remarks, — " In the spring- of last year, I 

 collected a quantity of peat for various purposes, and part 

 of it was intended to be cliarred or burned. It was not so 

 well prepared for burning- as I wished, a good deal of mois- 

 ture being- in it ; however, a good fire was made of wood to 

 beg-in with, and as the ^^eat dried it was drawn to the fire, 

 and in this way was kept burning- for two weeks. It re- 

 quired little watching', only once or twice in twelve hours. 

 The partially dried peat was drawn to the fire, because it 

 was intended to have a quantity of cliarred peat and ashes 

 mixed together, and in order to obtain both, the fire was 

 kept in a smothered state to char the peat (let the farmer 

 mark the distinction). It commonly burst through in some 

 parts, and there supplied the ashes. When we had a quan- 

 tity to begin with, the unburnt peat, and the charred, with 

 the ashes, were all well mixed together ; at least one-half 

 of the mass was unburnt peat." This mixture was applied 

 about the beginning of May, to a light sandy soil, for a crop 

 of Swedish turnips. The quantity used was at least at the 

 rate of 200 bushels per acre. " We tried it," continues Mr. 

 Mackenzie, " against well-made stable-manure in a state like 

 mould, cut well with the spade, which was applied at the 

 rate of about 20 tons to the acre, and spread into drills, like 

 the peaty mixture. The plants grew well in both cases. 

 We tried to ascertain the amount of produce per acre from 

 each manure, as late as the middle of January 184G ; for, 

 from the mildness of the season, the turnips till then appeared 

 to be in a growing state, each plant having- had about two 

 square feet of surface to grow upon. The siu-face was kept 

 flat, and the ground chiefly worked with the Dutch hoe. 

 The weight of bulbs fit for use manured with the peaty 

 mixture was upwards of 40 tons per acre ; while those pro- 

 duced from stable-dung- weighed only about 30 tons. One 

 row of peas was also manured with the peaty composition, 



' Quar. Jour, of Af/ric, 1846, p. 46". 



