430

Sequel of Mr Naismith’s Inquiry

is always at hand, there are few mofles which might not be coveredwith it at a moderate expenfe, after the furface was prepared for its'reception ; and, after being fpread, it might lye for fome time tol-,e wathed into the mofs by the rain ; and, by being thus intimatelymixed, the fertilizing effect would be greater. The ground mightthen be cultivated, and be found fit for producing ufeful plants, and/in time, by repeated culture, become more and more produftive.

Query 3d. Whether would it be most advantageous to accele-rate the decompofition of the refractory upper strata of mofs,or to remove them to get at what is below ?

Answer. Though the noble example given by Lord Karnes andfome others, has made a valuable addition to the fertile furface ofthe country, there are few cafes where that could be followed toany confiderable extent, or with any profpeft of defraying the heavyexpenfe. As a general improvement, the agency of water to carryoff mofs is therefore altogether out of the question. Some noticeof the agency of fire (hall be taken in anfwer to query 5 th. In themean time, the application of earth," either crude or torrefied, (andthat which is burnt or torrefied, and reduced to the state of brick-dust, has certainly the great eft efficacy), is the only practicablemeans, yet known, by which peat-mofs can be made to yield fubfift-ence to cultivated plants, and by which it can attain a confidenceproper for the accommodation of their roots, and fupplying themregularly with moifture. Here we have chiefly been confideringmofs in its molt pure unalloyed ftate, that is, in the ftate moft ad-verfe to fertility ; for when it contains a fufficient mixture of theearths, it already poflcfles the principles of fertility, and may be cul-tivated, according to circumftances, as other foils, for either grafsor corn ; but particularly for the former, for which it is better ad-apted than for the annual plants ufually cultivated ; and after a fewcrops of thefe, it would perhaps be moft prudent to put it in grafs,"and continue it fo long as the grafs fucceeded ; and, when it failed,"to repeat earthing, liming and cropping, till it was moulded intothe confiftence of a fertile foil. Mofs could probably never be moreproperly employed than by laying it in permanent grafs, if it can bekept productive in that ftate. Dr Richardfon, the great advocatefor florin, and perhaps the firft difcoverer of the value of that plant,recommends peat-mols as an excellent foil for producing it. Butnctwithftanding his fceming confidence in the fertility of that fub-ftance, he gives a fubftantial top-dreffing of earthy compoft to amendit. He feems to have had great fuccefs, and profitable returns, fromthe culture of this plant ; and his zeal has introduced it into Scot-land : but the value of it is not fo well afcertained in this country.By the report of Mr Miller of Dall winton’s culture, it appears thatthe ground on which the fiorin has been planted, has thereby yield-ed much more valuable returns; but the report is too general, toform any judgment upon it. By the prefcnt operations of Sir JamesSteuart Denholm of Coltnefs, a fair judgment of the value of fiorin