ARTIFICIAL MANURE. 189 



still better, mixed up at once with its proportion of 

 peat. If this is done, then the result will be, in 

 round numbers, 1 cord of fresh dug peat, — 20 lbs. 

 of soda ash, 30 lbs. of potash. In March, 1839, 

 the author, in a letter addressed to the commissioner 

 for the agricultural survey of Massachusetts, threw 

 out the following hint, which was published in the 

 second report of Mr. Colman : 



"Take 100 lbs, of peat as sold or the fine part 

 from the bottom of a peat stack — at any rate, bruise 

 the peat fine, put it into a potash kettle, and 2 1-2 

 lbs. of white ash, and 130 gallons of water ; boil for 

 a few hours : let it settle, dip off the clear for use, 

 add 100 lbs. more of peat, 2 1-2 lbs. of white ash, fill 

 up with water, as much as you have dipped off, boil 

 again, settle and dip off. Add again 2 1-2 lbs. of 

 white ash, boil, settle and dip off. This may be 

 repeated five times. How much oftener I know not ; 

 probably as long as the vegetable part of peat re- 

 mains. The clear liquor is an alkaline solution of 

 geine. The three first boilings contain geine, alu- 

 mine, iron, magnesia, and sulphate or phosphate of 

 alkali. The dark colored solution contains about 

 half an ounce per gallon, of vegetable matter." 



" It is to be applied by watering grass lands. The 

 'dregs' may be mixed up with the manure or 



