Chap. XI. Appendix , No. 5.

53

tion amounts to upwards of 900 souls. Thus a considerable tractof ground, formerly a nuisance to the neighbourhood, has beenconverted into fertile land, filled with industrious inhabitants, whoare all comfortable and happy! and, in a few years njore, the im-provements will be much extended. Besides this moss of Kin-cardine, there are many mosses similarly situated in the vale ofthe Forth, which might be reclaimed or removed by similar means,and vast extents of most valuable soil recovered to the proprie-tors and the community. Moss-Flanders, adjacent to Kincardinemoss, is said to contain near 10,000 Scots acres, or 12,708 Eng-lish , perfectly similar, but enjoying much greater advantages inrespect to water properly situated for removing the moss. MrDrummond has removed above 30 acres of a small part of Moss-Flanders, which belongs to him. There certainly are many thou-sand acres of mosses in Great Britain and Ireland, which mightbe reclaimed by means similar to those detailed in the foregoingaccount; by which, besides adding a vast extent of exceedinglyproductive soil to the stock of the community, for the growth ofgrain and grass, the value of individual properties might be a-mazingly augmented, and employment secured for a prodigiousnumber of industrious inhabitants. It is to be observed, that,from the commencement of the operations on that moss in 1767,down to 1792, a period of 25 years, (during which time the mostdifficult parts of the progress of improvement were carried on),not a single individual of this moss population had applied for pa-rochial relief.

It should be mentioned to the honour of these settlers, whohave learnt by experience the value of spirited improvements, thatvery lately, when a new turnpike road, now nearly completed,was likely to have been stopt for want of funds, about 100 ofthem came forward, with a subscription of a guinea each, to car-ry on the work, unsolicited, directly or indirectly, from anyquarter whatever.

Chap. XI. Apia No. 6.

Of Rotations on Peat .

By the late Mr Robekt Kerb, Author of the Berwickshire Report.

An author, who has written on the origin, qualities, and cul-tivation of moss-earth,' or peat, * divides this genus of soil intothree species or subordinate genera, which he denominates Hill-

* Mr William Aiton, writer in Strathaven, who has already published twoshort treatises on this curious and interesting subject, and has announced a re-publication o,f these in a new form, with large additions,