| | | | | |
| Introduction | vii |
| PART I.—Origin, Varieties, and Chemical Characters of Peat. |
| PAGE |
| 1. | What is Peat? | 9 |
| 2. | Conditions of its Formation | 9 |
| 3. | Different Kinds of Peat | 14 |
| | Swamp Muck | 17 |
| Salt Mud | 18 |
| 4. | Chemical Characters and Composition of Peat | 18 |
| a. | Organic or combustible part | 19 |
| Ulmic and Humic Acids | 19 |
| Ulmin and Humin—Crenic and Apocrenic Acids | 20 |
| Ulmates and Humates | 21 |
| Crenates and Apocrenates | 22 |
| Gein and Geic Acid—Elementary Composition of Peat | 23 |
| Ultimate Composition of the Constituents of Peat | 25 |
| b. | Mineral Part—Ashes | 25 |
| 5. | Chemical Changes that occur in the Formation of Peat | 26 |
| PART II.—On the Agricultural Uses of Peat and Swamp Muck. |
| 1. | Characters that adapt Peat for Agricultural Use | 28 |
| A. | Physical or Amending Characters | 28 |
| I. | Absorbent Power for Water, as Liquid and Vapor | 31 |
| II. | Absorbent Power for Ammonia | 32 |
| III. | Influence in Disintegrating the Soil | 34 |
| IV. | Influence on the Temperature of Soils | 37 |
| B. | Fertilizing Characters | 38 |
| I. | Fertilizing Effects of the Organic Matters, excluding Nitrogen | 38 |
| 1. | Organic Matters as Direct Food to Plants | 38 |
| 2. | Organic Matters as Indirect Food to Plants | 40 |
| 3. | Nitrogen, including Ammonia and Nitric Acid | 42 |
| II. | Fertilizing Effects of the Ashes of Peat | 46 |
| III. | Peculiarities in the Decay of Peat | 50 |
| IV. | Comparison of Peat with Stable Manure | 51 |
| 2. | Characters of Peat that are detrimental, or that need correction | 54 |
| I. | Possible Bad Effects on Heavy Soils | 54 |
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