328 UK. ANGUS SMITH ON PEAT. 



The inclination to break up into gaseous bodies is opposed 

 to the general character of peat, a large portion of which is 

 disposed to remain stable, to preserve itself little changed, 

 and to preserve other bodies also ; and thus we find so much 

 of the matter which is compelled by the atmosphere to de- 

 cay, passing off quietly in solution, innocent of all effect on 

 the air, even the carbonic acid being soluble enough. When 

 mosses decompose, sulphuretted hydrogen is eliminated also, 

 as from other organisms ; but whether it ever reaches the 

 atmosphere has not been shown, so far as I know ; nor do 

 we know if it is essential. This gas is readily oxidized in 

 abundance of water with free air. 



The l Giessen Jahresbericht ' for 1864, describing a 

 paper by J. Websky, says: — "According to him, Sphag- 

 num is the only proper peat-former. By means of its 

 peculiar cellular structure it can take up 200 times its 

 weight of water, and live luxuriously in such waters as 

 give very little ash ; on the other hand, when it decays, it 

 gives out the greatest part of its inorganic substances in 

 a comparatively short time, thus enabling the plant to con- 

 tinue its growth." He gives analyses of three ashes, of 

 which one peat contained 3*88 per cent., the second 5*74, 



and the third 2*83 : — 



A. B. C. 



Potash I 3'°4 °'44 i'°8 



Soda 6*36 C23 1*17 



Lime io'3i 4*72 5-96 



Magnesia 5-15 1*15 1-57 



Alumina 2*86 3-96 6*98 



Peroxide of iron l A'Z° 3'5 X 4' 2 9 



Sulphuric acid 4/47 1*12 2*88 



Chlorine 4*28 o - i8 066 



Silica 9*02 4*9 



Phosphoric acid 4*12 1*77 2*05 



Undetermined 2 5"^3 76*56 73"°4 



Lost 0*27 0*15 o - 57 



I cannot agree to put Sphagnum on such a lofty plane 

 at present. 



