New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-08
Its History, Location, Formation, and
Character
d NEW UTILIZATION Of BOG-LAhDS.
Tho Value and Use Of Peat in its Natural and
Manufactured State.
Feat Machines, and Manufactures Of
Fuel Described.
EUncrs Peat is 70 be found, and Eow
to Find tt
A NEW TRIUMPH WON FOB ECONOMY



will, laying at the roots By which basins upon very Gle
waited ground have been filed TO the depth OF 20 or 80
st There sucb basin within half mile Of our resi-
f.nce into which hole hes been dug 10 feet deep the
posl er,wing better and better; and pole has been
shrisl down 20 feet st below, indicating deposit Of
pufs peal 30 feet deep. The upper stratum Of such
pebod generally very brous and affords fuel Of such
tight apOngY character that although combusiioc is
30 light DO seryiceabe where intense heat is required
a ro Of such peat might be compared to that Of more
condensed character is brushwood compares With the
cold Substance OF the bOle of the tree
Ia soue poatbed long time has elapsed since the
ormson ceased that the substance has nearly lost all its
hbroos character. and has the appearance simply Of
lack mud Such often the best peat and is good solid
sue without any preparation. We have before sPeei
,uol OF ihG character from Norfolk County, Mass 1t is
fully equal in value in its natural condition 10 some spee
snons 6brous peat after it has been condensed Such
peat which shows few traces Of brous matter either of
roots scas or leaves generally shows pitchy shining
hue When cnt and is dense and fine in the grain when
dried This apt TO DO the in peat deposits
susde from moss than from those which have been formed
Cr,n, aquatic plants or from parts Of trees with which
pea boss frequently overgrown in the Of their
formation Indeed there ore many instances in Europe
winch indicate cessation in the growth q the
pea noss when the bog has grown with timber,
which has aferward died been destroyed b. storms
avaeu fallen forest has been overwhelmed and buried
~ subsequent growth Of sphagnum There ere oso
INSTANCES Of two three successive growths Of timber
aud poai Ireland very valuable timber is dug out Of
peal bugs where has been buried for untold ages In
Shat country too the growth of peat not confined 70
bas,a bui often found climbing sides OF hills. Such
eupos however always wet for the peetko sponge
has the power Of retaining water It's spongy character
Chs greatest obstacle in converting II into fuei.
ma Of
solid aud e vegetable fiber so much deeomPosed, that
shey acquire the name of rock peat while the tPper
Eaiaa. bears the name of tuIf-a name by which peat Is
Tie root peat is ar advanced toward the formation OF
what q called mineral coal" which is al Of vegetable
origin. es much as peat.
hrre appears TO be considerable variety in the oharlc
Ger of peat NOSES at least they differ IN color which, IS
wolf tho form, ia frequently traeeabe IN od, vel DE-
Composed specimens. 1t is notsalways certain that the
BLACKLIST peat is the best
In W satUa coud uon it has been found that the peat OF
the most bous character II appears to the eye, IS
easily fodaced in o condennng machine, and produces
cold substance for fuel which is often better than that
1Fofked from peat which has appearance TO the unn
sicd when Dag from the swamp Of d 1SH bs sIe greatest
, We hare faad specimens OF peat so inseparaby
snfsed With clay earthly materials as to BE- almost worth
3ess foe f8 This IS the case where muddy WAFER hH
Frequently oFordoged the peat beds. ~ 80
Sometimes The washing of surrounding hills viii de,
sansbo By mixing with il so much earth that IL cannot
DE oed ia competition with better sorts OF other YaHcues
fge Pure peat should not leave moro than per cent
OF ash. ard some very good peat gives ony per cent
sglls tbat known az clayey or sandy peat sometimes
leavea = rcsdaum Of ~ OF 50 per cent
u Is tfas that nearly ell of the peat deposits paricr
larry Of this country contain earthly matter. Care
must therefore be IN examining locations 70 be
worked torfe tnat the earthly matter not in such ex s
destroy ia value We think that in some dstdcts
bs general thing, American peat IS almost universally
composed Of aquatic plants other than NOSES tpgelef
iib be d3b.s OF forest trees Indeed some Of the'mos
sosc peat deposi'sare sustaining growth Of fol-
~ ifces exhibit their stump and root remains. Many
i hcse deposits also contain much antseptc matter
ihat i DcO fiber is preserved 70 such an extent that
js ehssrtg may be traced and the peat IN ats uinan
yacascd condition light and porous that It's value for
fuel has vars borne low estimate Experience. how
ever sa proved that these fbrous peas can be condensed
% very inexpensive process into substance almost a.
Solo anthracite coal and as they contain 10 earthly
mater sra then really more valuable than tho deposit
ahch appear solid in their natural condition, II
p,iKed with washngs from the surrounding hills
ANAtyoS DrSsrTY COMPOSITION AND VALUE or
Namoas analyses Of d SdI peat in Europe show the fol-
w*"S 'Pns''ueH's' -, 49,, A.
&C. lSs:ss.l ,..:', y: s s% :
las density of peat compared with water at l. fdte6'
fom Oiis to LOS Kermarsh gives lght-e9lYed JIano
Sedso Pea. which was geary Unchanged moss, OILS 70
O25 Yosng br9waish peat an earthly matrix interseced
with roofs, Q.e;0 TO 600 Od.earthy peat without any
tbro: texture, 056 to 09O2 Old pitch peat 1853 TO
to3 i@onty-seven samples OF English peat examined
Iron Oj 70 05s OF course, if free from earth the most
Seusa peat IS the most valuable though some peat is
pnch moe indammable than others Of the same density
NJ Il contains more oil or Tesinous matter. Some peais
PIE 81 eh 10 sgch naIters 1t is an object to distl them
z lhs ae essits q peat are essentially th9se q wood
81 cot sh0wn by dslilation for it yieds Ammonia,
pcoc sed pyfOxyic acid tar naphtha oils and pardhne
Prom 10 10 ~ parts OF dry peat are destTuctDc p he
HE rosdua Is earth oyide CT iron and potash Peat
pshes quite valuable as wood ashes LOT iertIzng
Ths q.a0ty produced from the best peat Is very small,
generally three eight per cent But the ashes
81 those Yielding the largest amount of ash even 30 or 40
per cant valuable fertilizers, as burned clay Is often
tssd cor that purpose.
Ds Mscculook SAYS the odor Of burning peat is
touca by essential oil and it is traditional in Ireland
kbat the od0r is preventive Of consumption.
pos peculiar to COO climates Nature has thus pro-
tded tho people with constant supply OF fue ~ Is only
tyel it has seldom' ever been discovered within
HE tropics u does no. abound in the valleys or warm
paris OF France and Spain In Germany II has been long
tuowo aud ussd for fuel and the people have learned The
eaUelof compressed peat far that they have worked
INTO balls with their hands and feet.
hy Lesgitt IN his work quotes numerous authorizes
i,at e digging of peat and its and traffic fuel
.be esvsnh aud twelfth centuries. 1t used in 1860
Ffeyeq for smelling iron, and for the same purpose N
England early 10 the seventeenth century II Is easily coI
fertea isie aa excellent charcoal -
% the best deposits of peat are so dense that teams
pan he driven them. Others are mpassaoe morases
these difficult 10 work, unless they can be drained
Dgks iceland aud Scotland We hare no deposits ID th
bounty Of mountain peat which is formed OF moe s'
frequently spreads over dry land. Ours, as before re-
marked being composed Of different material Il geneFoIy
70 BE- fO.nd what term swamps basins, ana VIII
Sways be found % the best quality whore there has been
tbs least opportunity OF being oyerwasbed with earth
One Of tho distinguishing features Of good peat tOg
will 5s found 10 the feet that the water ssgnaes
btmsy be- oooed dark brown and yet be pure enough for
all culinary purposes Therefore, If any has what he
EappOsss peat bed let him first observe the character oI
ths water, next observe the quality and depth Of the de-
post. He viii generally ind from four to ten inches
~. 60. fIr