36 A TREATISE ON THE CONNECTION OF 



matter, (consisting for the most part of phosphat of lime) 

 contain likewise phospaht of iron, gypsum, Epsom salt^ 

 and green vitriol ; and these in different proportions, ac- 

 cording to the nature of the peat, and circumstances under 

 which it had been formed. Hence also the ashes of 

 different kinds of peat will have different effeds wl^keii 

 used as manures, or top-dressings, to ground,. 



The decayed remains of vegetables, called in this Trea- 

 tise inert vegetable matter, abundantly contained in many 

 soils, especially those which have been much manured, 

 and long under cultivation, are in all respefls similar 

 to peat, and capable, like peat, of different degrees of 

 oxygenation and insolubility ; a process promoted by 

 fallowing, or the exposure of fresh surfaces to the a^lioa 

 of air. 



A method of rendering these inert vegetable mat- 

 ters conducive to vegetation, will be given in the seqiiel 

 of this work, when the application of saline matters to 

 different soils i^ discussed- 



FOSSILE 



