Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-09-29
THE PEAT INDUSTRY.
Geological Survey Makes interest
ing Report on Peat and
Its Use.

General interest in the peat re-
sources of this country has increased
greatly within the past few years,
and information in regard to them is
being sought by all classes-large
investors hooking for profitable op-
portunities of exploitation; manu-
featuring companies investigating
the possibilities of peat as source
OF power or as a raw material; and
owners of peat land wishing to learn
of the value of their property. A
report on the production of peat in
1908 by c. T. Davis has just been
published by the United States Geo
logical Survey as an advance chapter
from Mineral resources of the Unit
ed States, calendar year 1905" The
total supply of peat in the country,
exclusive of Alaska, is estimated at
IL billion tons of air-dry fuel. The
peat beds of commercial Importance
lie almost entirely outside of the
territory in which coal and other
fuels are abundant. Mr.. Davis re-
port contains not only the statistics
Of production, but description of
the methods of preparation and the
uses of this substance.
The most important use of peat is
for fuel. 1t is particularly suited
for use as domestic fuel, as, when
properly prepared and managed, il
makes a hot and durable fire. It's
theoretical heating value is about
five-eighths of that of the best btu
minous coal, but owing to the small
waste in ash, ETC., its real value is
doubtless nearly il not quite as great
as that of some Goals that are used
for domestic purposes.
The most recent fuel use of peat
is as source of producer gas. The
gas producer shows so great a fuel
economy that it can profitably util-
ize grades of fuel that could not be
used for steam generation, and in
Europe peat is finding a growing
use for this purpose. Well-prepare d
peat gives from 10000 to $4,000
cubic feet of producer gas per ton
of dry matter, with calorific value
norless than. that of gas made from
coal. Some progress has been made
in the recovery Of valuable by-pro-
ducts in the generation of gas from
peat.
Peat is of value for numerous
other uses. such as bedding for
stock, packing material, and fertil-
izer filler. Dry peat powder is used
to absorb the refuse molasses of sug-
ar factories, the mixture being sold
as stock food. A peat-moss litter
and null plant is operated at Gar
rett. Ind. and factories for making
peat fertilizer filler have been es-
tablished in New Jersey. Pennsylvan-
ia, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illi-
nois, and Florida; some of these
have not been carried beyond the
experimental stage. Fihours peat
has been mixed with certain mineral
and cementing substances and then
subjected to hydraulic pressure, the
resulting material being tough and
hard and capable of use as a struc-
tural material or for paving blocks.
This industry is inconsiderable as
yet.
The production of peat fertilizer
filler in 1908 was $4,000 tons, valu-
ed at about $121.00O. The peat
fuel made during the year was all
peat, the total output be-
ing 900 tons and the selling price
from IS to $3.50 a ton. Peat moss
litter is sold in bales of 225 pounds;
the production for 1908 was 5000
bales. valued at $4,000. The i'm
ports of peat during the year consist
ed OF S,102 tons of fuel moss, valu-
ed at $45,414, and a few tons of peat
fiber