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Composts of peat moss differ greatly from those of whichsome kind of mould is the principal ingredient. The vegetablesof which this substance is composed, are the most durable of allthe minute tribes of the vegetable kingdom ; and the mass form-ed by them, still remaining undiminished, was long regardedas incorruptible, an unsightly load,' overwhelming much of thesurface of the country, and almost useless, except for the fuelthat was cut from it. But in later times, it has been discoveredthat, notwithstanding its resistance, fermentation may be excit-ed in it, by the arts of human industry, and decomposition beaccomplished ; so that, like other vegetable substances, its prin-ciples may again revive in a new vegetation. This has now beenascertained by numerous experiments, on a large scale, in dif-ferent parts of the country ; f whereby it has not only been madeproductive of plentiful crops of cultivated vegetables, on its na-tive field, but had the same effect when used as a manure to o-rhers. Instructed by these successful experiments, we now seethat the turbaries, interspersed over the face of the country, area great fund of fertility, which nature has stored up, in a bar-barous age when the people were few, ignorant and inactive, tosupport the numerous, active, and industrious population of amore enlightened period. It becomes, therefore, the enterpriz-ing husbandmen of the present times, to avail themselves ofthis gift of Providence, by converting this torpid substance in-to valuable manure, wherever it is accessible. As rules for pre-paring this manure are known, and the practice of using itbecome pretty general, it shall only be added here, that as theagents employed to excite fermentation on this substance, actmore powerfully the more its parts are separated, the moss whichis best adapted to the purpose, is such as is friable, and falls ea-sily asunder. But pure peat-moss undecayed, is held firmly to-gether, as well by the filaments of the plants, as by a kind ofviscidity of which it is possessed. If, therefore, there be no o-ther at command, it should be loosely laid up in thin heaps, ex-posed to the w'eather, and lie as long as convenience will admit:and the lower parts, as being less fibrous, are preferable to thosenearer the surface.
Finally, preparations from decayed organized bodies beingnot only the sole subject, within the reach of human power, bywhich direct aliment to cultivated plants can be conveyed, butalso, by repeated applications, a powerful corrective of the
lodgements to the noxious insects, by which the young crops are frequently in -jured. The manure, rendered soluble by maceration in the dung-stead, willhe best applied alone; and a moderate quantity, accurately spread, and repeat-ed at short intervals, will be preferable to a great load at a time.
f For a full account of successful improvements made on peat mosses,Aiton’s treatise on Moss may be consulted (Ayr, printed 1313), page 314
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