BULLETIN OF THE BUSSEY INSTITUTION. 135 
The peat, or, more properly speaking, mud, put upon Section AA 
in 1873, came from a pond-hole in Dabney Woods, on Forest Hills 
Street, Jamaica Plain. The pool in question is at the bottom ofa 
little valley or glen, and is so situated that it receives the wash of 
several wooded hillsides, besides many leaves of hard-wood trees, 
The pond was cleared out some six years ago, and the mud thrown 
up into several large heaps in a moist place. From one of these 
heaps that had been left undisturbed until now, and upon which 
sedges and various rank weeds had formed a covering, the material 
applied to Section AA was taken. A sample of this pond-mud par- 
tially air-dried was found to contain 
Memmreexmeied at 212° 2.) ww wg” 2797 
Volatile matter, beside moisture ; : : : 7 OO.UL 
Ash * : : : : : “| ; - ‘ 37.02 
100.00 
The nitrogen in the peat amounted to 0.71 per cent ; but no am- 
monia was expelled on boiling with milk of lime. The ash contained, 
among other things, — 
Phosphoric acid. ; ; : : : : ‘ 0.518% 
Potash . % - P . eae. : : o SO264 
Sand insoluble in aeid . ; : : : : 2) 8. 98.160 
An air-dried sample of the peat from Bussey Farm, such as was ap- 
plied ‘to Section AA in 1871 and 1872, contained 
Moisture expelled at 212°. } , ; : ° 15.24%, 
Volatile matter beside moisture : : i ; 2 4h78 
Ash 5 £ A 3 A ; ; ; : : 6.98 
100.00 
There was nitrogen to the amount of 1.20 per cent; but no am- 
monia was obtained on boiling the peat with milk of lime. The ash 
. contained 
Phosphoric acid . : : é d f : : 0.625%, 
Potash . ; { . : ‘ ; ; . 0.188 
Sand insoluble in acid . : . : ; P 84.970 
There were many shells of diatoms both in the peat and in the 
pond-mud, though more in the latter than in the former. 
