The soils beneath the midland peats.

Abstract

Large areas of raised bog are being cutover for fuel and other purposes in Central Ireland. As a guide to reclamation and development programmes for future land-use systems, surveys have been carried out to determine the type of mineral soils buried beneath approximately 36,000 acres of such bogs. Most of these soils are derived from limestone boulder till and show a variable degree of profile development. Others in the form of marls and glacial clays also occur. All of the soils would present difficulties in reclamation, but to a varying degree. Amelioration of the soils through incorporation of the overlying peat residues is discussed with reference to experimental work in progress.