( *97 ) 
The black fpongy Earth, which is under the Turf* 
they cut out in oblong Squares, v/ith Iron-Spades made 
of that Shape, about 8 or 9 Inches long, and about 4 
or 5 Inches broad : And as the Men cut them up, the 
weaker Men, Women and Children, carry them in fmall 
Wheel-barrows, fcartering them on- fome dry Ground, 
to be dried by Sun and Wind : Some become harder, 
fome fofter, according to the Nature of the Mould, or 
Earth 5 the more folid, the better Eire 5 and they are 
lefs efteemed, which are more fpungy. And when they 
have cut off one Surface, of four, or five Inches deep, 
they proceed downward to another j until at laff, they 
come to the hard Channel, unlefs they be flopped by 
Water 5 which alfo they ordinarily remove by making 
a Channel to fome Defcent, if they can, and if they 
cannot, there the Water ftagnates. 
And in fuch wafted Pits, where Wafer hinders to 
cut the fpungy Earth to the bottom j The Pits will 
be filled up again, in a good number of Years, with 
new Ground, of fpungy Earth $ which in progrefs of 
Time, will come to the Confidence of Peat-Mofs-, as at 
firft, and a Scurfy Heath Turf will at laft grow on tho 
Top of it. 
1 have obferv’d, That Peat-Pits, which have been 
digged, fince I remember, to have grown up again with- 
new Peats 5 and that fometimes oftner than once, in the 
fame Pits 3 fome Modes growing in fhorter time than 
others. But I have obferv’d alfo, That when they dig 
the Peats to the Channel, and in Places where the Wa- 
ter runs off, and doth not ftagnate, that the Modes did 
not grow, nor renew there again. Which moved me to 
order my Tenants, not to cut the Modes to the Channel, 
nor in veiy large Openings ; but rather in fmalier Pits* 
that they may grow again more haftily ; And the Event 
hath anfwer’d my Defign. But within thefe few Days, 
fpeaking with Sir Robert Adaire, (a mod Ingenious Gen- 
tleman 1 )/. 
