trikingly differ in appearance, but
yield the same amounts of hay.

The _chemical examination_ of a peat may serve to inform us, without
loss of time, upon a number of important points.

To test a peat for _soluble iron salts_ which might render it
deleterious, we soak and agitate a handful for some hours, with four or
five times its bulk of warm soft water. From a _good fresh-water peat_
we obtain, by this treatment, a yellow liquid, more or less deep in
tint, the taste of which is very slight and scarcely definable.

From a _vitriol peat_ we get a dark-brown or black solution, which has a
bitter, astringent, metallic or inky taste, like that of copperas.

_Salt peat_ will yield a solution having the taste of salt-brine, unless
it contains iron, when the taste of the latter will prevail.

On evaporating the water-solution to dryness and heating strongly in a
China cup, a _vitriol peat_ gives off white choking fumes of sulphuric
acid, and there remains, after burning, brown-red oxide of iron in the
dish.

The above testings are easily conducted by any one, with the ordinary
conveniences of the kitchen.

Those that follow, require, for the most part, the chemical laboratory,
and the skill of the practised chemist, for satisfactory execution.

Besides testing for soluble iron compounds, as already indicated, the
points to be regarded in the chemical examination, are:--

1st. _Water or moisture._--This must be estimated, because it is so
variable, and a knowledge of its quantity is needful, if we will compare
together different samples. A weighed amount of the peat is dried for
this purpose at 212 deg. F., as long as it suffers loss.

2d. The _proportions of organic matter and ash_ are ascertained by
carefully burning a weighed sample of the peat. By this trial we
distinguish between peat with 2 to 10 _per cent._ of ash and peaty soil,
or mud, containing but a few _per cent._ of organic matter.

This experiment may be made in a rough way, but with sufficient accuracy
for common purposes, by burning a few lbs. or ozs. of peat upon a piece
of sheet iron, or in a sauce pan, and noting the loss, which includes
both _water_ and _organic matter_.

3d. As further regards the organic matters, we ascertain _the extent to
which the peaty decomposition has taken place_ by boiling with dilute
solution of carbonate of soda. This solvent separates the humic and
ulmic acids from the undecomposed vegetable fibers.

For prac