AGRICULTURE WITH CHEMISTRY. 



35 



It is upon this principle that inflammable bodies when 

 exposed to air lose their combustibility, it being evident, 

 that such matters as had saturated themselves with a full 

 proportion of vital air, or oxygen, are incapable afterwards 

 of combining with a greater quantity, and consequently 

 must be uninflammable. On this account, the upper 

 stratum of peat mosses is generally thrown aside when 

 peats are dug for fuel. 



The longer peat moss is kept exposed to air, the less 

 soluble it becomes, and ultimately imparts no colour to 

 water ; whilst peat newly formed, or in a less degree 

 oxygenated, imparts a colour to water which will be 

 found to contain the extractive saline matters of fresh or 

 less decayed vegetables. 



It is owing to this solution in water that no alkaline salt 

 is procured from the ashes of peat, decayed vegetables, 

 or water soaked wood. 



In peat mosses there are frequently springs of mineral 

 water, which contain in solution saline and ferruginous 

 matters. Hence the ashes of peat, besides the earthy 



E 2, matter, 



