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towards disorganization, soluble in water, and may nourishgrowing vegetables. This is confirmed by the valuable disco-very of Lord Meadowbank, which now proves of general use tohusbandmen.
4th, It appears by the experiment on flower-pot, No. 3, thata mixture of earthy substances, accelerates the decomposition ofundecayed peat-moss. And this only confirms what may be of-ten seen, where land-water has deposited earth on the edge of apeat-moss, or where earth has been laid on moss for its improve-ment, where the great increase of fertility could not possibly pro-ceed from the earth alone.
But curiosity is more excited than satisfied by the above; andthe following queries are naturally suggested.
Query lsi. Since peat-moss, which covers so much of thesurface, is so useless in its natural state, what is the cause of itshostility to the roots of every kind of plant esteemed valuable tosociety ? Is it the elastic quality of the fibres, by which theyare held asunder, or the great quantity of stagnant water retain-ed in the interstices, or both ?
Query id. Is there any practicable mode, by which these de-fects may be corrected at a moderate expense ? Can the fibresbe compressed, and the interstices filled to any profitable pur-pose ?
Query 3d. Since the upper strata of peat-moss remain unde-composed, and consequently incapable of nourishing land vege-tables, whether would it be most advantageous, to use means toaccelerate the decomposition; or—-to remove the upper and leastdecomposed, in order to get at the more decomposed below ?
Query 4 th. If the former be used, whether do such as tend togive solidity, or such as increase porosity, appear most eligible ?
Query 5th. If the latter be used, water and fire being the on-ly known agents, and the cases where water could be advan-tageously used, rare, how can the upper part be best consumedby fire ? The turf of the scirpus ceespitosus, and some others, isbound in large clods, scarcely capable of being sufficiently driedfor combustion, in a moist atmosphere, and lying on a dampbed, in any summer: Will time, and any additament, overcomethis difficulty ?
Query 6 th. What would be the result of consuming part ofthe surface of peat-moss ? Is the cinder, or scorched part, solu-ble in water, as some have shown ? Or insoluble as water-gra-vel, as others have asserted ?
Other queries may be suggested ; but probably the above arethe most important.
It was thought proper to state, very minutely as above, everything which occurred, in this examination, that nothing mightbe omitted, from which any useful deduction might be made.