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ON THE PROBABLE UTILITY OF PEAT-SOIL IN COMBINATION 

 WITH SEAWEED AND OTHER SUBSTANCES AS MANURE. 



BY GEORGE PARSON. 



Agriculture may now, or at any rate, probably, before many years elapse, 

 have a fair claim to be called a science. By the aid of chemistry and other 

 branches of natural philosophy, the agriculturist has already attained a pro- 

 minent position in the scientific world. What, indeed, can be of higher import- 

 ance, in a social point of view, than a knowledge of the most efficient means 

 of raising from the earth sufficient food for an ever-increasing population ? 



Philosophers have been wont, from time imm emorial, to speculate ; often 

 with mystic and vague elements, as the bases of their specidations. What 

 is the source of magnetism 1 Are light and caloric distinct forms of matter ? 

 These and many other questions have given rise to speculative theories, and 

 to strange and conflicting hypotheses. Now, I think that people whose minds 

 are more disposed to cleave to the dust, and who prefer tangible matter for 

 fm?nishing them with ideas, may also be allowed to speculate a little ; and 

 this latter kind of speculation may turn out the more profitable of the two. 



Where are farmers to obtain an abundant supply of manure, when 

 guano becomes scarce 1 This question has often occurred to my mind, and, 

 among other things, I have thought that Peat-soil might probably be used as 

 an excellent substratum for artificial manure. 



Nature has" provided ample resources for the necessities of the human 

 race ; to develop these resources is the province of man. It must be 

 evident, however, to all intelligent people, that the more numerous our race 

 becomes, the more will man be beholden to science for the adequate develop- 

 ment of these resources. Ignorance is opposed to science ; it has shown its 

 antagonism in anti-steam-power riots, and opposition to the introduction of 

 machinery : but science must triumph ; it will become, or rather it has 

 become, indispensable to society. 



That bogs — those stores of Nature's vegetable conserve, the peat — are 

 destined to play a prominent part in agriculture, seems to me very 

 probable. What extensive tracts of this substance we find scattered 

 widely over the world ! — in many parts useless — nay, in some cases worse 

 than useless, spreading ague and fever far and wide. The use of peat 

 as fuel is, indeed, extensive ; in many parts of the Continent of Europe 

 it is almost the only fuel used. Hundreds of people find employment 

 in transporting it on the Elbe to Hamburg, and other markets on that river. 

 In Jutland, in Denmark, extensive bogs exist, many of which afford excel- 

 lent fuel both for domestic purposes, and for burning lime, bricks, &c. 

 Some kinds make very hot fires : I have seen in a limekiln in Denmark, 

 where peat was used, vitreous slags produced that indicated a high degree of 

 heat; there is also a kind in the neighbourhood of the small town of 

 Grenaa, called Ramten-turf (from the place where it is obtained) that 

 produces good charcoal which is used by smiths. But large tracts of 

 bog-land lie undisturbed, only producing rank grasses on which herds of 

 lean cattle graze during the summer. 



