1921.] 



The Improvement of Peaty Soils. 



1111 



This new soil should not prove difficult to cultivate if it were 

 not for the high rainfall, but its fine silt would tend to make 

 it sticky. It is very deficient in plant nutrients, and like the 

 present peat layer would need lime, phosphates, nitrogen and 

 potash; drainage would also be essential. 



In general the plan of reclamation proposed by Mr. Vendel- 

 mans follows the lines successfully adopted in the low lying 

 peats of Belgium and Holland, viz., deep ploughing followed 

 by the addition of sand. It is not necessary, however, to add 

 sand on Dartmoor as the peat is only about 12 in. thick, and is 

 underlain by a layer of sand which is brought up to the surface 

 during the ploughing. 



The first ploughing is very troublesome owing to the uneven 

 nature of the surface. In some places the entire plough fell 

 into a hole 3 ft. deep. Naturally it was impossible to do good 

 work in these circumstances, and a good ploughman 

 accustomed to turn a neat straight furrow would stand aghast 

 at the roughness of some of the first attempts. After this 

 ploughing, the land was left bare for a year; it was then 

 harrowed, limed and ploughed over again. This time much 

 better looking work can be done, and the land now begins to 

 take on a normal appearance. 



The land is cut up into fields of about 10 acres, between each 

 pair of which a ditch is ploughed. Between successive pairs it 

 was intended to make a plantation 25 yd. wide to protect the 

 crops from damage by high winds. 



The rotation proposed by Mr. Yendelmans had five courses : — 

 Buckwheat, 

 Winter oats, 

 Clover, 



Oats for hay or silage. 

 Roots. 



All these crops were successfully grown on the trial plots in 1916. 

 The buckwheat was to be sown in May, and cut in August in time 

 to drill the winter oats in September; clover was then to be sown 

 in April. The oats for hay or silage were to be cut while still 

 green, and harvested by the ordinary Belgian method, or made 

 into stack silage as is done by Baron Peers of Bruges. 



The field trials of 1916 brought out several important points. 

 The great need of lime w T as demonstrated ; the crops having 

 failed completely on most of the plots from which it was with- 

 held. Even 1 ton of lime per acre was insufficient for oats, 

 though it proved enough for turnips and potatoes. Cabbage and 

 kohl-rabi failed except where potash was supplied ; clover also 



