DR. ANGUS SMITH ON PEAT. 3.25 



Carbon. Hydrogen. Oxygen. Ash. 



Peat 5 1# 54 4'6o 33'9° 9*87 



50-13 5-36 35-24 9-37 



50*36 4*20 34'^7 11-17 



53-69 4-84 31-73 974 



55-01 4-63 31-44 8-92 



5)260-73 5)23-63 5)166-58 5)49'°7 



52-146 4726 33'3 l6 9' 8l 4 



Specimens of peats from the Ledaig moss, Loch Etive, 

 were of a moderately good quality, and gave results as fol- 

 lows : — 



When dried at ioo° C. 



No. 1. No. 2. 



Organic matter 9°"563 93*520 



Ash 9*436 6*480 



consisting of 



Carbon 52*721 48*961 



Hydrogen 4*236 4474 



Nitrogen r66o °'957 



Ash 9'436 6-480 



Leaving for oxygen 3**947 39*128 



Leaving out the ash, the composition is 



Carbon 58-21 



Hydrogen 4-68 



Nitrogen 1-83 



Oxygen 35-28 



The result of Mulder's examination of humous bodies has 

 not been to give satisfaction ; the probable reason is that the 

 stages of decay of the woody fibre are very numerous. I 

 am disposed to admire much that chemist's labours. It is 

 agreed that there is oxidation of the woody fibre. Miller 

 in his ' Chemistry ' has put it simply thus : — 



Wood . . 4C 34 H 48 Zi + 60 2 = 



Peat . . . 4 C 20 H iZ 8 + 24CH 4 H-32C0 2 + 4H 2 



Marsh- Carbonic Water. 



gas. anhydride. 



or more simply in Watts' s Dictionary (under "Wood"), 

 WoodC 34 H 48 22 + 30=C 20 H 22 8 + 6CH 4 + 8C0 2 -fTT 2 0. 



