1910.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 45 



peat, while the peat retards the too rapid decomposition of the 

 manure, at the same time absorbing any plant food in form of 

 ammonia compounds or other soluble plant food elements that 

 may be made available. This is a very practical and economical 

 manner of utilizing peat, and it will be found that the resulting 

 compost will prove a very valuable manure. It may be neces- 

 sary to make a frequent application of lime to soils on which 

 such a mixture is constantly used, and it may be found neces- 

 sary, in some cases, to use lime in making the compost. 



The application of air-dried peat to light sandy or gravelly 

 soils often results in their material improvement. Such appli- 

 cations can best be made by a manure spreader, and the peat 

 may be applied to a depth of 2 inches. Freshly slaked lime 

 should be used at the rate of 5 or 6 bushels to each cord of peat. 

 The whole should be thoroughly harrowed into the soil and sub- 

 sequently ploughed to a depth of from 4 to 5 inches. As an 

 absorbent and deodorizer in the stable, dry peat has few equals. 



Many of our peat lands make our most productive soils when 

 properly drained and reclaimed, and especially is this true when 

 the crops selected are particularly adapted to that class of soils. 

 Natural peat soils are deficient in available mineral plant food 

 which has become washed out through successive years of leach- 

 ing. Such soils, therefore, need an abundant application of 

 potash, phosphoric acid and lime before they become productive. 



