The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-07-01
The Peat Harvest in ireland.

The gathering of the peat harvest in
many parts of the country is a matter of
much importance to the inhabitants, a
wet season seriously interfering with the
necessary operations. The cutting COM
mences early in the season, as soon as
the winter and spring rams have drained
from off the surface. In Ireland a long
narrow slip, measuring from three to six
feet across, is cleared to the depth of a
foot or so of the light, spongy peat
and heather which form the surface. Ex-
tending back from this certain space of
surface called in some districts a
swarth-is leveled and prepared for the
reception of the blocks of peat which,
according as they are cut are spread
closely upon it to dry. The peat-or
turf, as it is almost Invariably called in
that country-is cut IN narrow rectangu-
lar blocks from foot to eighteen inches
in length. The implement used in cut
ting-called a slane-somewhat re-
sembles spade, with a flat piece of
steel attached to the bottom at
the right side, and extend
ing forward at right angles.
The blocks are cut from the mass with
downward thrust of the implement, the
arms alone being used, without the as
sistance of the foot, as in an ordinary
spade. After the blocks have lain for
some time, and the sides and upper sur
faces have dried somewhat, they are
turned and then placed on end in small
stacks, which are piled together in larger
heaps after the drying process has ad-
vanced. The work of cutting turning,
and stacking the peat is not such an un-
pleasant occupation as might be sup
posed. 1t is cleanly work enough. There
is no need to handle the peat in wet
state, though even then it does not
stain or stick to the hands or person, and
has no unpleasant smell. When it has
dried somewhat it is light and clean,
and easy to handle 1t is unusual to cut
the peat down to the level of the soil
beneath; the produce of the lower lay
ers, although most valuable as fuel dry
ing into hard and brittle fragments,
which do not bear handling or removal.
When the upper matter becomes ex-
hausted, the remainder is sometimes dug
out, mixed with water, and kneaded
with the hands and feet. 1t is then cut
into square blocks and dried in
the ordinary way. The peat bogs of Ire
land ought to be source of considera-
BILE profit to that country, and but for
the low heating power of peat, which
renders it unfit for use as fuel for manu-
featuring purposes, they would no doubt
have long ago led to the development in
that country of industrial and manufac-
turing activity similar on a small scale to
that produced by coal in England. To
remedy this defect in peat as fuel, vari'
Gus processes have been tried for COM
pressing it, so as to get rid of the large
percentage of water always present in
even the best dried samples. These ex-
periments have not, up to the present,
met with any great success when tried
on a large scale. Well-dIied peat con
tains as much as 20 per cent. of water,
and even when most of this is expelled,
unless the peat is rendered compact and
waterproof by some process its spongy
texture causes it to reabsorb large pro-
portion of moisture from the atmosphere.
! u Chambers Journal.