398 



On the Improvement of Peat Soils. 



lie may then use more peat in proportion to his farm-yard 

 dung or night-soil than if he makes the mixture when the tem- 

 perature of the air is less. In the warm weather of the spring and 

 summer months the cultivator will find one cubic yard of fresh 

 good farm-yard compost sufficient for three or four cubic yards of 

 peat ; but in colder weather the proportion of peat must be de- 

 creased. The farmer will find that the fresher and richer the 

 animal manure the larger will be the proportion of peat with 

 which it may be successfully mixed. Thus with the rich semi-fluid 

 mixture from the slaughter-houses of London, with one cubic 

 yard of this six or seven cubic yards of peat may be mixed ; and 

 I have found on several occasions every reason to agree with Lord 

 Meadowbank, and others who have employed peat in this way, 

 that it is very desirable not to mix more than half the intended 

 proportion of peat at first, but to wait until the fermentation of the 

 mass is somewhat advanced, and the temperature of the heap in- 

 creased, before the last half is added to the heap. Some persons 

 recommend the addition of a portion of lime to this compost ; but 

 this is a plan I do not consider either advantageous or even harm- 

 less : for the lime combines with and even partially decomposes 

 some of the richest portions of the animal matters of the manure ; 

 and I have on some occasions suspected, from certain appear- 

 ances, that it retarded, when thus used, the dissolution of the peat. 

 In eight or nine weeks the compost will be ready for use ; the 

 peat and dung will be thoroughly mingled together, and the whole 

 heap will have the colour of a dark garden-mould. Of the 

 nourishing quality of this mixture of peat with night-soil or yard- 

 manure, or urine, the farmer will readily convince himself by the 

 fertile effects which it produces ; and when drilled with turnip- 

 seed, the roots of the young plants will be found to encircle the 

 lumps of it, just as they do in the case of crushed bones. 



If the possessor of a peat-soil cannot well prepare a compost of 

 either night-soil or farm-manure with the peat, he may still furnish 

 his soil with a valuable dressing, by mixing hot lime and peat 

 together, at the rate of one cubic yard of the former with three 

 or four cubic yards of the latter. In this case it is not necessary 

 to dry the peat previously, for the lime readily absorbs the water 

 contained in it, and in the course of seven or eight weeks the entire 

 mass is reduced to the state of mould. From some experiments 

 which I have made on a small scale, I have found that the addi- 

 tion of a portion of common salt to the lime, not exceeding one 

 part of salt to three parts of lime, will still more increase the fer- 

 tilizing powers of this peat compost ; but my experiments on this 

 head require repetition before I can confidently recommend this 

 plan for the farmer's adoption. 



When once the peat is well drained, a very thin covering of 



