New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-07-19
THE PROGRESS OF PEAT INDUSTRY

SIR. knowing now deep anu HNtIJ dh lhtNi''' 80
take in the advancement of our home-indnstry'
dare presume you will find acceptable the follow
inc account Of a visit paid few days ago to
the property and works OF the Hudson River
Peat Company. situated in the ncgh0orhood
of Lloyd and Controville in Ulster Co This
account of the plans and doings OF the Just
named Company will, in the estimation or the writer OF
these lines be the more welcome 10 the readers OF THE
TRIBUNE carries to them various new ana interest
ing facts hitherto not met with in any published article
or essay on the nature of Peat and the OF the
Peat industry.
Arrived at Pougbkeepse, the steam-fey viii take the
visitor 10 NewPaz landing Opposite, on the west side
OF the Hudson River. pretty steep ascent over an
otherwise good turnpike brings him TO the neat and
thriving village OF Lloyd In Ulster County, and ride OF
tbrae miles more In a northerly direction, ris ris Of
Lake Chodkee. commonly calico BLACK fohu' the spot
around which the Peat-bogs spread.
The tlace Is long known TO Peughkeepse nc.nic)
crrsonsts who frequent during the Summer season to
fish on the weustocked little Lake, TO enjoy the wild pic
tresoue scenery and Falls at its outlet to have fine
view OF the Hudson River Valley from themountaintops
adjoining on the east.
The property of the company embraces upward OF 500
acres 400 Of which Is solid Peat $50 farming land and
tcoods and the balance-about so acTes-uater. The
Lake is wholly imbedded within the land OF the COM
pany.
The Peatdcpost Is divided lengthwise by stony ridge
into two large bogs, each about mile and half In
extent and half mile in width The ridge Is covered by
the farmh0uses and barns orchards and cornheds ana
its western slope by brushwood and young timber
Fronting the Lake. the eastern and western margin OF
the same plenty Of building sites can be selected as the
ground forms saddles terraces from which ino pros
pect over the valley and lake Is had.
The soundng Of these extensive Pcatbogs have proved
them to be Of Greragc depth Of % Je the whole yield
ing orer deen million Of TINS Of ret or about Jon" ma
lions Of TINS Of consolidated Sieamprcssed Peat
To form an idea Of the vastness of this deposit II IL
ONLY necessary to mention that viii require forty years
10 exhaust them I0ne hundred thousand hS ffie'are
manufactured every year viii the Company be able TO
produce this amounts Ihave no doubt that 1t WILL as all
s preparations aud arrangements In fun progress
tend to this result at early day IL requires but TWO
suc powerful dry presses the the Company Is now
putting up and three or four wetpressnre machines IKE
the one already in operation TO enable II TO produce
without any oyerexcrton from 100000 to 10000 tuns OF
fuel in less than 900 working days And would that pay
Let me- FOR curosty sake this question before
showing that the Company Is proceeding in the Hsh'
manner to secure such a result
The dark brown and grass or Ulminpeot OF tese
highlands Is yielding fuel that contains, at most from
:5 TO per cent OF ashes. The powerful Emery press
gyes this fuel as you VIII perceive from the bygohS eN
ample density above that Of bituninous coal and equa
10 II not above that OF anthracite Every tun weight OF
least worth "a much as the best OF coal The entire alb
sc nee OF phur other coodng substances makes
this fuel peculiarly adapted 10 steamasing ana all othcr
manufacturing purposes its ashes are mostly alkaline
compounds, forming excellent fertilizer Can there
be any reasonable doubt that this fuel WILL as soon "a
known and appreciated command rs high price IN inc
market IA any other now In usei deem 1t no e1traya
CANT opinion that yearly production Of the above mem
toned quantity Of Peltfuel would yield very large
profit 20 the Company.
Why such results have not boon secured heretofore In
the Old wCzd OF in this country, is easily explained
without speaking Of the time when no machinery was
".el, but Pcatcakes formed in mold by tho hands
and feet OF mon must the first place say that eAciu
eiye wetprcssing will not answer In - economical point
OF view II the manufacture Of PcatfdH j. 70 DC pro
sentcd on a large scole To mako the drying OF Tho
pressed depend the state Of the weather 10y
pilng it up on covered scanoding or framework
would be 70 subject the whole business too much To
chance and accident Warm and sunny wtSther would
yield more cold and rainy weather would yield less OF
practicable fuel within given time. With only Re"
Wctpresses OF moderate capacity at work. the aconula
ton OF pressed Peat would under unayorable state
OF the weather be 80 great within a few weeks 10
make its further pling 90 great extent mpractlca-
BE aud costly beside, by the necessary application OF
most extensive carrying power The erection Of solid
buildings for artificial drying though considerable 20
certain degree can furnish but partial relief and must
cumbersome. Under all circumstances, a vigorous
wetpre5sure business would put limit 20 the
spreading furnacedrying piling up, and storing
capacity OF any company. Adding 30 these
difficulties the certainty that In mild and fayora-
bic cmse, scarcely than six months in
year the wetprssins be pursued-four months ~
frost and rain and two month"; OF Sundays and holidays
seem 10 DO moderate estimate Of unavoidable loss OF
tmewe have complete solution or explanation Of the
hitherto narrow extent and poor OF the Peat IN
dustry II is further well understood that the wetpress
ing give the material density approaching
that OF mineral coal requiring. consequently, larger
bulk TO be transported comparison with the latter.
The introduction Of dypicsSHg was therefore ndspcn-
sable for thoroughly successful aud amply rcmunera-
tive embarkaton In the manufacture of Peatfue This
for the first time and the most extensive scale. is the
principal aim Of the Hudson River Peat Company, while
wet-pressing is carried auxiliary, and
chiefly the end Of furnishing also lighter fuel that,
along with the Of condensed seamp Peat may
serve a!,a kind Of kndling material.
The Company has commenced ts work on the bog west
the ridge by the clearing OF about forty Of Peat
land The sod, after being removed from the surface.
piled up alongside Of the cleared fields there TO be
left 20 rot and aerward used fuel Ia the dry house
and under the boilers Every Of this cleared Peat
land Is divided by several small parallel dtches which
lead into traverse bitches OF deeper and wider cut and
into the main ditch, running eight feet wide and seven
feet deep night through the center OF the whole bog from
end to end This main ditch is carried already TO tho
length Of over mile; the whole ditcing forms unique
and attractive piece Of work The rapid flow OF the water
IN the ditches and particularly IN the main ditch, Is i'll
dIcatve Of the adopted drainage system Apart from
the main ditch there have been cut through these cleared
forty at least five miles Of dchcs giving idea Of
the amount Of drainage work be done this single
bog Of upward Of 200 This drainage work IT, how
ever not only important but absolutely necessary. Every
Of water that is not drawn of from the bed has
10 be eyapoTatoda tedious. tmc-absorbng, and costly
process, remember that the densest natural Peat
contains per cent OF water and that good Peat
fuel should not have retained moro than 10 per cent Of H.