100 



peat moss cut out annually in Ireland alone, increased 

 by what has been cut out in England and Scotland, 

 and multiplied by the number of years in which the 

 quantity of cut-out moss has been accumulating, will 

 show that Mr. Curwen's phrase of millions of acres 

 will not be considered merely as an hyperbolical mode of ex- 

 pression. But the materials from which Mr. Cur wen and 

 I pronounce upon the magnitude of this unhappy descrip- 

 tion of ground, are very different. I speculate a priori, 

 calculating from stated data ; while my friend, well ac- 

 quainted with each of the three kingdoms, speaks from 

 his own observation, and pronounces, vaguely indeed, from 

 what he had actually seen. 



The meadows in England and Wales are estimated at 

 six millions of acres ; and Mr. Curwen himself, several years 

 ago, estimated their average crops at a ton and half to 

 the EngUsh acre. Shall we be content with such scanty 

 produce from the meadows formed in our way on cut-out 

 moss? — By no means. Mine have never fallen short of 

 treble that amount. 



Whatever additions then shall be made to the meadows 

 of the United Empire in this way, a still greater diminu- 

 tion must take place in the area now under meadow ; and 

 much of this must be added to our present agricultural 

 field, to the great increase of our stock of grain crops, 

 and to the increase of the agricultural population, already 

 (in England, at least) bearing too small a proportion to the 

 manufacturing population. 



I hope I have said enough to convince the Boai'd of 

 Agriculture of the extreme importance it would be to the 

 whole Empire, to have the cut-out moss, scattered over so 

 much of its surface, brought into a productive state ; and I 

 hope the high authorities I have quoted, will also convince 



