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XXVIII. — On Peat Charcoal as a Manure for Turnips. 
By W. Uppleby. 
The process of charring peat is very simple, if you have only 
plenty of water so near your fires that it can be scooped on as 
soon as the heaps are nearly red, though the fires want dragging 
down level before the water is thrown on : it is not necessary to 
wet the fires above half through ; it then forms a coat at the top, 
which stops the fires doing anything more than smothering. The 
fires want examining . next day, to see that it has not broken 
through anywhere, the top will be black from the water putting 
the fire out, and the bottom will be charred from the top smoth- 
ering it. I have tried all ways with sods and clay, but could 
never succeed; the fires will be through them. I had almost 
forgot to tell you the chief thing, which is, not to light your fires 
while your pile is completed, as a shower of rain will not stop 
peat from burning when it once gets fire in it ; and to light them 
at the outside, that is, not putting fire underneath your clumps (it 
will then eat its way into your clumps) ; and not to burn in windy 
weather the dried clumps. I think the best are about six feet 
wide at the bottom, rounding to the top, about six yards long, 
leaving a space for the man to walk and drag, as occasion requires. 
The first clump will want some rire, or something to start it, but 
still putting on the top, and setting on fire, the hot ashes will 
fall in amongst the peat, and start it; after that, hot ashes from 
the first fire will be the only kindling you require, and are the 
best, as I have always found the longer the clumps are burning 
the better ; but everything depends upon well dragging the fires, 
not letting them get red hot, without putting it sideways. I have 
burnt very good ashes in this way without water at all, when it 
has been in the middle of a field ; but should recommend the 
ditch sides for the process, when water is good to come at, and I 
think the peat would pay for leading then, as you might lead the 
peat to the water, as soon as fetch water to the fires, without in- 
juring so much grass, or whatever may be wanted to grow there. 
I am certain, when water is not plentiful, your man must be con- 
stantly putting the fires outwards as thev burn. I find the ditch 
sides for another reason the best ; the fires will be ten days or 
more in burning, and the ashes can lie on the ditch sides any 
length of time without stopj)ing so much land from being sown, 
and wait for a convenient time to lead them away. I cannot 
make an estimate of the increased quantity by this process ; all I 
can speak from is, that one waggon load of ashes burnt this way 
is preferable to two burnt as long as it will burn, which is the 
common process. Yet by checking the fires we produce a 
larger quantity of ashes than by the common method. The tur- 
