La Junta tribune., 1908-12-19

-l8SI OF tue lTlsn sHoTtS mas uisdp
peared from view. The sea is smooth
and our vessel is sailing with scarce
" a motion. have not yet had time
to make much of a survey of the
sight. impress me as being as clean
and handsome as the Slavonia. on
which sailed from New York to
Naples last June. The Celtic has a
capacity OF II 900 tons and is one
of the four largest vessels of the
White Star line. | am travelling second
class. for which | have paid ten
pounds and ten shilltngs. little less
than fifty-two dollars; first class is
$4,000 and upwards My passage
from New York to Naples. first class.
cost $I25.00. The great majority of
people, in moderate means, travel
second class. There is little differ.
ence in the accommodations and con
veniances, the first class cabins be-
ing more elegantly furnished and
the table service more after the
French cuisine and has a couple of
courses more.
l travelled two weeks in Ireland.
travelling from Londonderry on the
north to Queenstown in the south.
and from Dublin in the east to
Killarney In the west. am much
pleased with ireland. its natural ad-
vantages and its possibilities. 1t is
beautiful land with an excellent
climate and capable Of great varie-
ty of important productions. Ireland
ia not all rich and fertile. There
are, throughout the length and
breadth of Ireland. largely In small
tracts, though often OF course, OF con-
siderable siize,numerous bogs oil peat
which afford fuel for the farmers,
as well as occasionally for some OF
the inhabitants of the smaller villages
This peat Is a sort OF vegetable
mould, not completely converted INTO
soil. is found generally in low
swampy land, wet slopes. and varies
In depth from two feet to probably
fifteen or twenty feet. The peat
is cut out In blocks. about foot to
eighteen inches long. eight to tYeive
inches wide and about four inches
thick, is ricked up in piles OF three
or four wagon loads where 1t Is
left to dry and is then hanieo
TO the farmers homes. for their fuel.
The peat burns with great heat. Is
not difficult to ignite and burns TO
a light, white ash. l have passed
by fields of peat where 1t was stack
ed up like small hay stacks and look
ed. at a distance. like the large COCK
or small stacks in meadow. here
and there one sees the straight
cut side of the peat field as the
peat is cut out and taken away. the
peat standing to the heigth OF the
depth of the peat, leaving the iahd
beneath as the surface, which Is olte
utilized for grass, and, at times when
the subsoil is OF proper kind as
basis for soil, is cultivated, fer'ih-
zed. and made to produce crops
Often, however. the basis Is impsr'-
Ions. hardpan or hard clay, and but
little fertility can be realized IN
such cases. Some OF these peat
beds extend over hundreds Of acres
and often comprise very large tracts
of country, with fertile fields
scattered throughout. Generally
coarse and almost worthless grass
grows on these bogs which afford
but scanty. pasture. These tracts
are very wet. Often the water STAND
at some little depth, at the bottom
of the peat formation. AT other places
deep bitches are cut. to drain OH
the water. but apparently the water
does not drain readily. AS ! walk
ed through peat. while In the smaii
flat or smooth places, often they were
wholly peat. As, we descended the
mountains to almost, the level OF
the Killarney Lakes, saw pea.
bog where there were the roots, trunk
and stumps of large trees. wnicn
had been buried ages ago. yet were
In fair state OF preservation. snow
inx that this part Of the country
had once been great iorest' =.
which not . tree remains. II Is not
unlikely that our great coal beds
are Of the same origin; for In these
coal bedsss are often found the re-
mains Of the stumps and trunks Of
trees. ~ wsli = the fossils OF yaii
ous kinds Of vegetation. What tne
conditions or the forces were tna'
created coal out OF vegetable deposits
u not certainly Known; but the
great pressure Of the earth above
the heat ard the great lapse OF -ime