SOIL RECLAMATION AND IMPROVEMENT 97 



Peat. — Peat is a very infertile type of soil, but by treat- 

 ment with lime and basic slag, very fine results may be 

 obtained. Where a soil merely has a thin layer of partly 

 peat-like turf, mechanical breaking up of the surface will 

 often effect a remarkable improvement. Heavy dressings 

 of gas lime have also proved beneficial for such purposes, 

 but where the peat is fairly deep, continuous work is necessary 

 to reclaim it. Peat lands are often very wet, and require 

 some system of drainage. Experience in Ireland has 

 shown that these soils are not so hopeless as they were once 

 thought to be. Dressings of potash manures are also very 

 commonly required for this type of land. In some cases 

 the process of paring and burning may be employed on peat 

 lands. This is very drastic, and wasteful, but is sometimes 

 the most easily managed. The rab cultivation of the 

 Western Ghats belongs to this type. On many of the fen 

 districts the application of marl, that is, chalky clay, has been 

 found to be very beneficial, since it supplies lime in quantity, 

 and potash in small amounts. On peat lands liberal manuring 

 with common manures is almost always essential, since the 

 peat contains little of any value to the plant. It has, 

 however, always an ample capacity for absorbing water, 

 and its physical properties are, therefore, not excessively 

 bad. Occasionally peat may be found already mixed with 

 lime. On such soils super-phosphate will generally give a 

 better result than basic slag. Whenever lime is applied to 

 soil for the purpose of reclaiming it, it is desirable that the 

 lime should contain only a moderate portion of magnesia, 

 since when the percentage of magnesia exceeds the percentage 

 of lime, magnesia is harmful. 



Reclamation. — There are considerable areas of land 

 which are only producing very poor pasture, which can 

 comparatively easily be made to produce far better feeding 

 for stock. These areas occur in all parts of the world, but 

 in well-populated districts there is little excuse for their 

 existence. There are very large areas of land which have 

 merely been neglected, and which are occupied by poor 

 pasture. The boulder clay of the northern part of England, 



D. 7 



