Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1866-05-11
PCnt.


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Peat.
we learn that number of distinguished
railroad and business men have bought IN nj
the peat beds contiguous TO the line of the
Hartford and New Haven railroad. with n
view to the substitution of peat for coal as q
fuel for locomotives They propose to use
the machine known as Leavitt& Hunnewell's
OF Boston, in the preparation of the peat
That 1t Is better than coal for this purpose
no longer admits of question. The fact is
abundantly demonstrated in Great Britain
1t has been known for some time that n
company has been organized here to carry
on the business of peat-making. 1t is called
the Connecticut Peat Company, and j. II
Ranney is the Presidents They have taken
large peat bed in West Hartford. bought
the right OF the Leavitt & Hunnewell ma
chine for Connecticut, and expect to be soon
in the market with peat for warming your
houses, cooking your dinners, running your
engines, and even making your gaslight, al
rates much cheaper than anything now af-
forded by coal of any kind.
The experiments made last year on some
of the railroads in Great Britain prove, very
conclusively, that peat can be advantageous
ly substituted for coal on the locomotive.
That 1t Is also actually equal, if not really
superior, to the best charcoal itselffor smell
ing iron ore, and for pudding iron, has been
demonstrated with equal certainty. The
iron thus produced is tougher. finer, more
malleabe, freer from flaws, than any other.
BY this use of peat, iron from English mines
OF admitted interlority to the famous Old
Hill mine in Salisbury, Connecticut, and the
equally celebrated Swedish charcoal iron.
has been produced of quality equal to
either.
How is this peat for fire in the CRATE, or
for cooking ? In all cases where it has been
properly prepared, ii is found to burn equal
ly well in a'coal stove, wood stove. or fire.
place and to make a very pleasant fire. with
more flame than coal makes and it leaves
no cinders. Its freedom from sulphur rem
ders 1t far less destructive than anthracite
coal to the iron bars of the CRATE. A stove
lasts much longer with peat. This freedom
from sulphur, point of the first importance
in the selection of fuel for the reduction of
iron ores, is also a weighty consideration
with the railroad men whose experiences
with the destructive action of anthracite on
their engines have made them shy of that
fuel.
Inv N'hilfetiN vi W HUI we nave SDOkpn
the Connecticut Peat Company, has a cant
tai of $4,000, all of which has been sub
scribed, in S25 share. Though but one in
stament has been paid, of $40, there have
been sales of the stock at $40 share. It's
calculated that the first instalment already
called in Will cover all The working expenses
ana leave the companys sales of rights for
the use OF the machine to produce an income
that Will warrant dividend before thew
have made any peat. That there is likely
TO be a demand for the machine. NAV be
Judged by the fact the Hartford and New
Haven road has bought up the peat hogs
adjacent to its line that an association of
gentlemen have purchased all the available
peat beds in the Nangatuck valley. organ
lied company, and ordered a machine
that Horace Wilcox, the president of the
Merlden Britannia Company, has bought the
right for that town and will put in operation
three of the machines ; that VIM. H. Starr
has bought the right for New London Coun-
ty, and that Joint stock company will be
formed in New London to carry on the bust
ness mat company is also organizing in
New Haven, and another in Waterbury.
The discoveries of the more important
uses of peat are recent, though its use. in an
imperfectly prepared form, has for long
time been known in various parts of Europe
and in this country. 1t is found to contain
rich supply of the carboniferous oil of
which our common Illuminating gas is made
and Is pronounced equal in that respect,
pound Tor pound, to gas coal. 1t also pro
duces rosin and some parafline It's analy-
BIS shows but 5 per cent of ashes, and So of
carbon.
Its value over all other fuel with the nos
slble exception of charcoaD in the smelling
of iron ores, and also in the pudding of iron
is demonstrated extensively in portions of
Germany and in England, Its value for the
ordinary purposes Of fuel in our houses
promises to be even more important.
1t comes in good time. Coal has been I'M
reasonably expensive and good article
Of peat, that can be used in the stove, the
CRATE, the old "fire-place," or under steam
boiler, at prices far below those eXtorted for
coal after making every allowance for the |
relative capacity of the two articles. will be !
likely to be generally used. Peat keeps a
i've coal till all is consumed, and is said TO
be superior for cooking. It's importance in
arts is likely to be extensive. II
,lready finds favor in this city for the pro- |
less of melting gold in Meriden it is pro |
success in working steel while |
is use in annealing, is proved by the superb |
'rity of the wire made at Worcester by the
means ofpeat
The paper read last year before the Brit
sh Association by Civil Engineer Clark of
London, contains important facts relative TO
beat A large establishment is engaged in
making it in England, and its trial ON two
If the British railways proved that it main
aimed higher and better head of steam
han coal did, that better time was made.
md that, pound for pound, it was saving
10Th OF time and money to use peat in loco
motives.
The machine of which we have spoken.
nay be worked by steam or other power
is cost may be perhaps $500. 1t receives
he crude peat just as il is taken from the
Jog, condenses it, and in very few minutes
elivers it in the form of bricks. which NAV
hen be exposed in the open air or under
heller, to dry or cure.
There are vast beds of peat in New Eng
and and New Y ork, and it behooves our far
ners to avail themselves of it, and thus,
While turning ''unprofitable" land 10 account,
reserve their forests, which are now rapi-
ly used up for fuel, till better uses can be
Ound for them.-Hdrgord Times.
SEED CORN AND ITS PREPARATIoN.-
he seed should be changed certainly as of
IN as once in five years, for corn like other
eed deteriorates for long use in the same
L.