The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-04-23

70 ,n;tEt peopio, eno Sn, Snet hosPitatit.
persons in Ireland, who, it is conceded
= grossly ignorant Such Is the case i,
l. don, and such is the case in ever,
country. The whole population of
country Is not to be judged of by these
The physical conformation of Irelant
is very peculiar. It is mountainous or
the coast and comparatively level il
the interior. The mountains which form
natural barrier around the coast, ar,
not continuous chain of mountains, bu
rather groups of what, in some parts O
America, would be called high hills
These groups are often pierced by narrow
plains which seem to extend from The
centre of the island to the coast. There
are no long mountain ranges in Ireland
There are no mountain ranges at all, but
groups or clusters of mountains. Meth
er arc thereany high mountains in Ireland
The highest is Carrantuohili in Kerry
County: 1t is 3,4l4 feet high. Some OF
our peaks are nearly 1900 feet high.
A great plain, elevated above the sea,
from two TO three hundred feet, and about
one hundred and fifty miles wide, extend:
from East to W.At across Ireland. This
plain rests ON o limestone substratun,
and embraces the finest portion of the
island.
Ireland is remarkable for the great
number aud large extent of it's 6ogs
These bogs arouse the curiosity of stran.
gers in no small degree. Every individ
ual who visits Ireland has numerous
questions TO ask about the bogs and ia
never satisfied until he puts his hand on
the peat or turf. and sees it
There are two kinds of bogs in Ireland.
One is called the fiat bogs and the other
the mountain bogs. The fat bogs cover
an area Of about million and half
acres, and the mountain bogs about O
million and quarter. The two cover
two and three.quarter millions of acres.
or nearly one.seventh part of tho whole
surface of Ireland. The fiat bogs are
chiefly in the interior, while the noun.
tain bogs are confined principally to the
coast highlands. The fiat bogs are also
called red bogs, because they are gener.
ally of q redish or brownish color.
have no means of ascertaining the exact
number of these fat bogs, but feel safe
In saying there are more than thousand,
varying 10 size from few rods to near
forty thousand acres. Sometimes these
bogs are separated by large tracts of cul.
tivated land, while others are disjoined
by only narrow ridges of dry ground.
The largest bog in Ireland, and 80 far as
l know in the world, is the Bog of Allen.
This occupies portiona of Kildare,
Kings, Queens, Meath and WestEa cath
counties: The principal part, however,
IS In kildare County, and covers about
thirty-six thousand acres of ground.
The mountain hogs cover the flat tops
and sides of the mountains, and differ,
chiefly, so far as could see, from the
fiat bogs, in that they are smaller and
are dryer. The American meaning of
the word bog will give us but q vague
and incorrect idea of an Irish bog. A
bog means, in our country, generally, q
spot of wet ground into which those who
attempt to pass over it are liable to sink,
or as ID usually said, "mire down." A
bog in America is a small swamp. The
only thing peculiar about either an
bog or swamp is that it is dan.
gerous to travel over it. ALI Irish bogs
are not swampy. Some of them are wet
and splashy, while othc1s are dry. 1t is
to walk over some of the bogs
Ct Ireland, but over others an Individual
may walk with impunity, and, in fact,
the greatest comfort. The sensation
experienced is tho same as if he were
walking on carpet spread on o thick
layer of straw, and the sound produced
by the tread of his feet is the same.
The peculiar thing about an Irish bog
Is the peat or turf which it contains. It
is this peat or turf which makes the bog.
This peat consists of several MOSES which
grow iu these bog localities. The princi-
pal moss iscalled spagnunl, or bog moss.
1t is curious looking thing, resembling
nthlng that ever saw, except an arti-
hcial moss that is some times grown In
jars for the purpose of making a peculiar
kind of beer.
Wherever, in the bog region, there is
any stagnant water this spugntin, grows
rapidly and dies in q short time. This
is followed by successive crops which
soon die. The dead spugnun. accumu.
lates, and it Is this that makes the peat
or turf which the Irish use extensively
tf5T fuel. Some Of the fat peat beds are
very deep or thick. The layer of peat in
the Bog OF Allen is, in some places, over
forty feet thick its average thickness is
twenty five feet. If the supply of water
is sufficient, the bog continues to increase
in depth and extent. hi:
The manner of preparing the peat for
use is very simple. It is cut out with a
spade, in blocks about foot long and six
inches thick. These peat blocks have
the general appearance of large bricks.
After being cut, the peat blocks are
stacked .1p to dry, very much as brick
makers stack up bricks to dry. 30 soon
as the blocke are dry they arc hauled
home and again stacked up under shell
ter. hi. I'll ssn - -
I cannot say that the Irish peat makes
q good fire. It is too light or porous, but
it does much better than those who havo
never seen IL burning would suppose.
The time for cutting the peat 10 in the
Spring and early Summer.
It is difficult to imagine q more in
tensely gloomy and desolats appearance
than that presented by o large Irish fiat
bog. ss''
Little Sermons.