338 DR. ANGUS SMITH ON PEAT. 



resins, and bodies containing much hydrogen, no matter 

 in what part of the tree they existed. 



Peat as a Water-reservoir. 



This point is proved : peat is a great reservoir j and its 

 removal is a great loss of water to the lands below in 

 rainless weather. It is not proved that the existence of 

 wet peat causes an increase in the fall of rain j but it may 

 possibly be the case ; it is, however, known that it pre- 

 vents the showers of the uplands from falling down the 

 streams as sudden floods. 



We owe much in this county to our abundant rainfall, 

 and still more to its very general distribution throughout 

 the year ; but it may not be well known that in Lancashire 

 the want of water is becoming yearly more felt, and the 

 showers, however frequent, are quite insufficient. It is 

 not that the amount which falls is not enough, it is 

 that we have no means of preserving that which does 

 fall. We have invented no way of keeping it but fearfully 

 expensive reservoirs difficult to maintain ; and we neglect 

 the simple and inexpensive means which are put in our 

 way. Peat-water may be readily obtained. It may not 

 for all purposes be the best unfiltered ; but when filtered it 

 is seldom that it can be objected to. We live as in the 

 days of agricultural innocence, and expect that the water- 

 supply and the sewer shall be one for a district. The 

 filtering of peat-water through the soil below it, or through 

 the lands on a lower level is a common act of nature, and 

 to a certain extent, can be imitated ; and the objectionable 

 character which even a slight amount of peat-water some- 

 times has may in this way be obviated. By destroying 

 peat-bogs on hills we destroy valuable reservoirs made 

 cheaply and maintained cheaply — that is at the price of the 

 rent of the land at most, but not always at this price. If 

 we destrov them and make reservoirs below the level of 



