16 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



As the value of the grass at a railway station, canal, or seaport 

 would be at least £3 per ton, its cultivation is worth the atten- 

 tion of bog owners, and of exceptional assistance from Government, 

 by loans for drainage through the Board of Works, at the lowest 

 possible rate of interest. The cost of draining 400,000 acres, so 

 that they might grow Melic Grass, would not amount to one 

 million sterling, as the partial drainage of deep bog, sufficient to 

 prevent the accumulation of stagnant water on the surface, is 

 comparatively an easy matter. 



In addition to the employment which would be given in culti- 

 vating the grass, another industry might be created by making 

 the grass into "paper stock." Wherever a sufficient quantity 

 might be grown, peat being used as fuel, the quantity of material 

 to be exported would be considerably reduced, whilst the value 

 would be more than doubled. It is even quite possible that it 

 might be cheaper to manufacture the Caustic Soda which would 

 be required on the bog, than to import it from England, as on a 

 bog, turf is certainly a cheap fuel. 



