322 DR. ANGUS SMITH ON PEAT. 



read, " Osc. Jacobsen examined peat from the district of 

 Hor, in Schonen. Remains of moss could be perceived 

 only in the upper layers; the lower layers had a shiny 

 fracture and contained some rather large pieces of wood. 

 The denser part was of 1*07 sp. gravity; at 100 it lost 11*5 

 per cent, of water, and contained 



Carbon. Hydrogen. Oxygen. Nitrogen. Ash. 

 51-38 6-49 35-43 i-68 5-02 



" The ash contained 



per cent. 



Potash 1*50 



Soda 0-58 



Lime 2075 



Magnesia 1-42 



Alumina 6*6o 



Iron peroxide 17*34 



Sulphuric acid 1*55 



Chlorine C67 



Soluble silica 6*50 



Phosphoric acid C42 



Carbonic acid 8*43 



Sand and traces of manganese 33'5° 



" He found no paraffin in the peat by means of ether. 

 Benzol dissolved more than ether. All the dissolved sub- 

 stances were resins containing oxygen. The part insoluble 

 in alcohol and ether, but soluble in benzol, agrees in pro- 

 perties with Mulder's Delta resin. It melts at 70 , and 

 contains 81*03 carbon and 11*98 hydrogen. From the hot 

 alcohol solution a crystallizable resin may be obtained in 

 groups star-formed, melting at 74 to 75 . The author 

 agrees with Mulder that the resins are formed in the pro- 

 duction of turf. This opinion is confirmed by the obser- 

 vation that from the lower and older stratum 3*26 percent, 

 was obtained, and only 2*5-2*7 from the upper." 



I next give an interesting collection of analyses by Mr. 

 George W. Hawes, as I wish afterwards to look at the 

 relation between the plants which form the peat- and the 

 peat itself. 



