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IV- An Account of the Moffes tn Scotland. In a 
Letter from the ${ight Honourable George Earl of 
Cromertie, &c. Fellow of the Royal Society , to 
Dr. Hans Sloane, ^ S. Seer. 
HEN we were fpeaking lately of the Oak and 
Firr Trees, which are found under Ground* in 
many Places of Britain , but more frequently in the Nor- 
thern Parts y you was pleafed to rake notice of fome things, 
which I told you, relating to this Subjedf And in order 
to farther Oblervation, I thought you might have wilh’d 
them to be put in Writings and here you have them. 
There are many Grounds in Scotland , which we call 
Modes y, from, whence the Country- People dig Turf, 
and Peats. The Surface is covered with a heathy, and, 
(as they call it) a heathery Scurf : And under that Scurf, 
there is a black, moift, fpongy Earth y in fome Places 
fhallower, and in other fome deeper y from three, or 
lour, to feven, or eight Foot deep : And in fome Places, 
but not in many, to twice, or thrice that depth. They 
cut the Heathy Scurf, with a flat kind of Spade, which 
they force Horizontally, betwixt the Scurf and the 
forefaid fpongy Earth y and fo turn up the Scurf in flat 
thin Flakes, which they call TurfFs. It is readily over- 
runn’d with the fmaH Roots of Heath, or Heathery and 
when dried, makes a healthy brisk Fire y but with much 
Afhes, of a whitilh, duskilh, or reddifh Colour y always 
sthe whiter, as it contains the more of the woody Roots. 
November 15. 1710. 
S I Ry 
The 
