The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1906-07-18

Peat.
The interest centering in the
twentieth century fuel causes much
inquiry. How will it burn compared
with other fuels? Will it burn in
cook stoves, in CRATES, (freplaces)
and furnaces? To all of these ques-
tions we answer that it has all the
heating properties found in any
fuel.
The best peat for burning is that
which is free from visible fibre or
undecomposed vegetable matter,
has a brown or black aspect, and is
likewise free from admixture Of
earthly substances in the form of
sand or silt. Such peat is plastic
when moist, shrinks greatly and
forms hard masses when dry. The
oldest, ripest peats are those which
contain the most carbon and at the
same time the gr attest compact
ness. The best of peat contains 63
per cent of carbon and s. 81 per cent
Of hydrogen. Hydrogen is AZ times
greater in heat effects than carbon.
We therefore have in hydrogen
equal to % per cent of carbon.
Hydrogen when consumed as COM
bustible with carbon, in peat, gives
US 81 6 per cent in heat effect. The
superiority of peat over coal con-
sists in it's burning with but one
half the draught needed for coal or
wood, hence the combustion of
hydrogen is produced in the firebox
whereas the greater draught need
ed for coal takes it up the chimney
fiues with a good PERCENTAGE of
carbon. The greatest proof of this
is to watch the smoke issue from
the chimneys or to inspect the fues
of our boilers and furnaces. The
greater the draught through a tuel
the greater the waste of heat, COM
bustion is deficient when too much
oxygen is admitted. The oxygen is
a source of waste, for heat as de-
veloped from fuel is chiefly result
of chemical union of atmospheric or
free oxygen, with carbon and
hydrogen of this combustible. The
oxygen of the fuel, being already
combined with carbon and hydrogen
not only cannot itself contribute to
the generation of heat but neut-
raIizes the heating effect of those
portions of the carbon and hydrogen
of the fuel with which it remains in
ombination.
All have theories regarding the
fuel we use. Not one in a thousand
know or try to find out the heat
value contained in the different
kinds, All are after results regard
less Of control. A fuel that will
spend its force in the frebox is
what we want. Peat fuel answers
this condition and the recently per-
fected machinery secures to us the
preparation from beds of peat as
durable and extensive as coal mines
of the world. Weneed no protective
tariff to start this industry.
For the last forty years all in
fant industries have cried for pre-
lection and are still being protect
ed. This is the one exception in the
United States of turning our peat
beds into use for fuel, for gas, for
smelling ore, for paper manutact-
ure, for sanitary use in hospitals
and many other uses without call
for government protection. Unlike
our forests the winds will not blow
it down; unlike our coal mines it
lays upon the surface. It is the
chief among ten thousand industries
It needs no protection as such.
You can hoist it out of its bed with
machinery, you do not have to chop
lit with an axe or mine it with a
lpick. It is clean to handle, sends of
40 SCOT or black smoke, is easily
lighted. will hold fire and ash dowr