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As all soils aie meliorated by lime, that do not effervesce with 

 acids, and sands most remarkablVj so the hard and adhesive 

 qualities of the clay are subdued, by the action of the sand 

 and lime united, its parts are comminuated, and the inert 

 vegetable matter is brought into operation. The peat com- 

 post, for similar reasons, and by means of the lime which it 

 contains, is well calculated to stimulate, and add vegetable 

 matter to the loamy soil. 



But the peat compost, for general application to all soils, I 

 have found the most extensively useful of the whole, if pre- 

 pared with a third part of animal manure, or fresh farm- 

 yard dung, according to the fermenting process, discovered 

 by the late Lord Meadowbank, whose memory will be im- 

 mortal wdth both the husbandman and the arboriculturist. 

 For thin gravelly soil, where a considerable quantity of car- 

 bonaceous matter is required to supply its wants, this com- 

 post, if properly made, will be found even preferable to 

 ordinary animal manure, as containing much more carbon, 

 and continuing its action longer on the ground. Even w'hen 

 prepared with quicklime only, recently burnt and slacked, 

 that is, hydrate of lime, one-fifth part of lime to four-fifths 

 of peat, it is extremely valuable, from its loose and friable 

 properties, and the fine state of comminution, to which it 

 may be readily brought. Gluicklime, when it becomes mild, 

 operates in the same way as chalk ; but, in the act of becom- 

 ing mild, it has the power of preparing soluble out of insolu- 

 ble matter. Hence its great effect on peat, and on all soils 

 containing an excess of vegetable insoluble matter. But for 

 peat compost of either species to operate fully in preparing the 

 soil for the fibrous roots of plants, it should l^e mixed in the 

 ground, for at least a twelvemonth before the trees are re- 

 moved, so that, on opening the pits for the second time, it 

 shall have nearly disappeared, in consequence of its com- 

 plete and perfect incorporation with the soil. 



This last method of decomposing peat, we owe to a very 



