cannot be obtained, water, in which peat has long been infused and macerated, might be adopted. Even a decoction of peat, allowed to stand, till it is perfectly fine and pellucid, and mixed with a small proportion of water, that is apt to putrify, might have the fame effect.

The coloured extract or folution obtained from peat, whether by cold or boiling water, whether by fpirit or by oil, feems to contain much of its bituminous or inflammable matter. But whatever it contains, it is fufficient for use to know that it is perfectly wholesome, and powerfully refifts putrefaction. There may be alfo other occafions on which this property of mofs water may be found useful; efpecially where it is required that river or rain water fhould remain long in an uncorrupted state.

COMMUNICATION ON THE SAME SUBJECT.

BY LORD MEADOWBANK.

DIRECTIONS for making COMPOST DUNGHILLS from PEAT-MOSS, which have been used at Meadowbank, in Mid-Lothian, in raifing the last Six Crops; and been found to ftand Cropping, whether by Corn of all sorts, Hay, Pafture, Tares, and Potatoes; and whether on Loams, Thin clays, or Gravels, at least equally well with Farm-yard Dung.

It is proper to state in the outfet fome General Facts concerning the Preparation of Manure, which every practical farmer fhould be acquainted with.

1. All recently dead animal or vegetable matter, if fufficiently divided, moist, and not chilled nearly to freezing, tends spontaneously to undergo changes, that bring it at length to be a fat greafy earth, which, when mixed with sands, clays, and a little chalk, or pounded limestone, forms what is called rich loam, or garden-mould.

2. In vegetable matter, when amaffed in quantities, these changes are at first attended with very confiderable heat, (fometimes proceeding the length of inflammation), which, when not much exceeding blood-heat, greatly favours and quickens the changes, both in animal matter, and the further changes in vegetable matter, that are not fenfibly attended with the production of heat. The changes attended with heat, are faid to happen by a fermentation, named from what is observed in the making of ale, wine, or vinegar. The latter are ascribed to what is called Putrefactive Fermentation, from what takes place in dead animals, damp grain, bread, &c.

3. Befides moderate moisture and heat, and that divifion of parts which admits the air in a certain degree, circumstances which feem to be neceffary to the production of thefe changes, ftirring, or mechanical mixture, favours them; and a fimilar effect arifes from the addition of chalk, pounded limeftone, lime-rubbish of old buildings, or burnt lime brought back to its natural ftate; and alfo of afhes of burnt coal, peat, or wood, foap-leys, foot, fea-fhells, and fea-ware. And, on the other hand, the changes are stopped or retarded by preffure or confolidation, excluding air; by much water, especially when below the heat of a pool in fummer; by astringents, as tan; and by caustic fubftances, as quick-lime, acids and pure alkalies, at least till their caufticity is mollified, by combinations with, and confequently probable loss as a manure, of part of the animal and vegetable matter to which they are added. 4. Thefe

of

4. These changes are accomplished by the feparation or decompofition of the parts or ingredients of which the dead vegetables and animals are compofed; by the escape of somewhat of their substance in the form of vapours or gaffes; by the imbibing alfo fomewhat from water and from the atmosphere; and by the formation of compound matters, from the re-union parts or ingredients, which had been separated and otherwise arranged by the powers of the living vegetables and animals. The earlier changes, and in general those which take place previous to the destruction of the adhesion and texture of the dead vegetables and animals, yield vapours, which, when applied in a large proportion, appear to be rather pernicious than favourable to the growth of living vegetables, expofed to the direct effect of them; whereas the changes fubfequent to the deftruction of the animal and vegetable texture, promote powerfully the growth of plants, and, partly by their immediate efficacy on the plants exposed to their influence, partly by the alterations they produce in the foil, conftitute what is to be confidered as enriching manure. *

5. It fhould be the object of the farmer to give his foil the full benefit of these latter changes, decompofitions and recompofitions, which proceed flowly, and continue to go on for years after the manure is lodged in the foil. Even loam or garden-mould is ftill undergoing fome remaining changes of the fame fort;

Hot fermenting dung partakes of both forts of fermentation.

fort; and, by frequently stirring it, or removing it, and using it as a top-dreffing, its spontaneous changes are fo favoured, that it will yield heavy crops for a time, without fresh manure; or, in other words, it is rendered in fo far a manure itself, as it decompofes fafter than in its ordinary and more stationary state, and, in fo doing, nourishes vegetables more abundantly, or forms new combinations in the adjoining foil, that enable it to do fo.

It should also be the object of the farmer, to employ the more early changes, not only to bring forward the fubftances undergoing them into a proper ftate to be committed to the foil, but to accelerate or retard them, fo as to have his manure ready for use at the proper feafons, with as little lofs as poffible, from part being too much and part too little decompofed; and alfo to avail himfelf of the activity of those changes, to restore to a state of sufficiently rapid fpontaneous decompofition, fuch fubftances in his farm, as, though in a state of decay, had become fo ftationary, as to be unfit for manure, without the aid of heat and mixture.

By attention to the two first particulars, and the proper ufe of compreffion, ftirring and mixture, the farm-dunghill, though formed flowly and of materials

in

very various states of decay, is brought forward in nearly the fame condition. By attention to the latter, manure may, in moft fituations in Scotland, be tripled or quadrupled ; et fulmen est aurum. On the other hand, by inattention to them, part of the manure is put into the foil unprepared, that is, in a fifituation