178 ARTIFICIAL MANURE. 



sary to say, that it is the result of that spontaneous 

 change in vegetable matter, which ends in geine. 

 Peat is, among manures consisting chiefly of geine, 

 what bone dust is, among manures, consisting of an- 

 imal matter. Peat is highly concentrated vegetable 

 food. When the state in which this food exists, is 

 examined, it is found not only partly cooked, but 

 seasoned. 



256. Peat consists of soluble and insoluble geine 

 and salts. The proportion of these several ingre- 

 dients must be known, before the value of peat can 

 be compared with similar constituents in cow dung. 

 This proportion is exhibited in the following table 

 of constitution of Massachusetts peat per 100 parts: 



