DR. ANGUS SMITH ON PEAT. 285 



that where water is very pure, and the supply of salts ob- 

 tained by dialysis only, the probability is that one foot in 

 a century is plenty for moderately soft peat ; but when the 

 moss is deep, and dialysis has a great distance to act, growth 

 may stop entirely. In seeking to grow turf it seems im- 

 portant not to cut down to the soil. The peat grows best 

 on a portion of its kind ; this is to be observed abundantly 

 in places where part of the ground has been left bare and 

 part covered. It is rather remarkable that, in questioning 

 Mr. M c Gregor (the ground-officer of Lochanabeich) , his 

 opinion came out that it would take about fifty years to 

 grow a foot under favourable circumstances such as he had 

 seen. If these ideas are correct, we may gain by the ma- 

 nuring of peat, if it is ever much required in the arts. As 

 a scientific experiment, at any rate, it is well worth attend- 

 ing to. (It will be seen that there was much to learn.) 



11 As to peat obtaining its inorganic constituents from 

 rain, I think it improbable, as in that case there is no 

 limit to its possible thickness, whereas the thick deposits 

 are all in low places, in hollows of hills, where superficial 

 sources of the salts are more readily found." 



Since the above was written, a socketed bronze spear- 

 head was found at the bottom of the moss spoken of, by Dr. 

 Dan. Wilson. The peat was certainly not so hard or brittle 

 at the bottom as many mosses described. The weapon 

 would, I suppose, point to a possible great distance of time, 

 at least the early centuries of our era; but it produces no 

 certainty of date, as a piece of bronze might have been 

 lost long before the moss began to grow, and, on the other 

 hand, the moss may for a long time have ceased to grow. 



I might adduce instances where there is much more 

 grown than I have said, were I to seek the experience and 

 acquaintance of others. 



If peat grows so rapidly, why does it not grow everywhere? 

 I was told that at Cairnmonearn it was at one place cut 



