ARTIFICIAL MANtTRE. 195 



lbs. of soda ash, or 8 bushels of common house 

 ashes, to every cord of fresh dug peat, estimating 

 this by the pit dug out, and allowing nothing in the 

 spring for shrinking. If ashes are used, they may be 

 mixed in at once with the muck, but if soda ash or 

 potashes are used, they must be dissolved in water 

 and the pile evenly wet with the solution. The 

 pile is then to be well shovelled over, and used as is 

 other manure. But it has been found by experience, 

 that the peat may be dug in the spring, immediately 

 mixed with the alkali, and used forthwith. If spent 

 ashes are used to prepare this muck, add one cord 

 of spent ashes to three cords of peat or swamp 

 muck. 



275. But there are still other forms of cheap 

 alkali, which may be recommended, though it may 

 appear inconsistent with what has been advanced 

 respecting lime, but in this case, the lime is convert- 

 ed into a perfectly soluble salt. The soda is elim- 

 inated caustic, acts on the geine, renders it soluble. 

 During the exposure to the volumes of carbonic acid, 

 evolved from the peat, the caustic soda becomes 

 carbonated. This carbonate of soda, immediately 

 decomposes the soluble salt of lime, and an insoluble 

 salt of lime with a soluble salt of soda, is the result. 

 The effects of their various actions, are, first, the 



