144 



In the 3d vol. Trans. Highland Society j page 18, it is 

 said, — ** In the Northern parts of Britain, a considerable 

 ** part of the earth's surface is occupied by the vegetable 

 ** matter known by the name of peat, which, being in its 

 " natural state unproductive of esculent vegetables, sets 

 '* narrower bounds to national industry." 



Is not this a positive assertion, Xh^i peaty soil is beyond 

 the pale of improvement, and that the exertions of indus- 

 try would be thrown away upon it? 



Page 28, it is said, — " its incapacity of producing ve- 

 " getables capable of being cultivated in its natural state." 



Page B9. — " The natural incapacity of peat to produce 

 " esculent vegetables results from"-- — 



Here the Author, not content with asserting the unpro- 

 ductiveness of peat soil as a matter of fact, proceeds to 

 give wise reasons, a priori, why it ought to be barren and 

 unproductive. 



Page 40. — " As peat does not yield to corruption, grow- 

 ** ing plants can derive no food from its spoils." 



Page 82. — " I have thus attempted to examine the 

 " nature of that unseemly substance, by which a large 

 " portion of the earth's surface in these regions is laid 

 ** waste, — investigating the causes of its natural sterility." 



I must observe here, that all this abuse of peaty soil is 

 directed against its natural state, its natural incapacity, its 

 natural sterility ; and that notwithst^mding this tirade, the 

 efforts which I have lately been exerting myself to call out, 

 have been much limited to peaty soil in its natural state, 

 and to the rmdely-extended area gravely pronounced by 

 such high authority, to be beyond the hounds of national 

 industry. 



There are many other wise writers who wage war against 

 this unfortunate 2?ea^ soil; but I shall quote only one more, 

 who says, " The steriliiy of moss is a quality of much 



