alysis as elaborated and employed by Dr. Fisher and the
author, is as follows:

I. To prepare a sample for analysis, half a pound, more or less, of the
substance is pulverized and passed through a wire sieve of 24 meshes to
the inch. It is then thoroughly mixed and bottled.

II. 2 grammes of the above are dried (in tared watch-glasses) at the
temperature of 212 degrees, until they no longer decrease in weight. The
loss sustained represents the _amount of water_, (according to MARSILLY,
Annales des Mines, 1857, XII., 404, peat loses carbon if dried at a
temperature higher than 212 degrees.)

III. The capsule containing the residue from I. is slowly heated to
incipient redness, and maintained at that temperature until the organic
matter is entirely consumed. The loss gives the total amount of
_organic_, the residue the total amount of _inorganic_ matter.

NOTE.--In peats containing sulphate of the protoxide of iron, the loss
that occurs during ignition is partly due to the escape of sulphuric
acid, which is set free by the decomposition of the above mentioned salt
of iron. But the quantity is usually so small in comparison with the
organic matter, that it may be disregarded. The same may be said of the
combined water in the clay that is mixed with some mucks, which is only
expelled at a high temperature.

IV. 3 grammes of the sample are digested for half an hour, with 200
cubic centimeters (66.6 times their weight,) of boiling water, then
removed from the sand bath, and at the end of twenty-four hours, the
clear liquid is decanted. This operation is twice repeated upon the
residue; the three solutions are mixed, filtered, concentrated, and
finally evaporated to dryness (in a tared platinum capsule,) over a
water bath. The residue, which must be dried at 212 degrees, until it
ceases to lose weight, gives the _total amount soluble in water_. The
dried residue is then heated to low redness, and maintained at that
temperature until the organic matter is burned off. The loss represents
the amount of _organic matter soluble in water_, the ash gives the
quantity of _soluble inorganic matter_.

V. 1 gramme is digested for two hours, at a temperature just below the
boiling point, with 100 cubic centimeters of a solution containing 5
_per cent._ of crystallized carbonate of soda. It is then removed from
the sand bath and allowed to settle. When the supernatant liquid has
become perfectly transparent, it is carefully decanted.