The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-03-16

ter,
The second annual report of the pub
lie utilities commission of Maine con
talns descriptions of many peat bogs
in that state Detailed information re-
1ating to the occurrence of this mate
rial iii Maine and a map showing the
location of workable deposits in that
state can also be found in United
States Geological Survey Bulletin SO
which, though no longer available for
free distribution, may be obtained
from the Superintendent Of Documents,
Government Printing Office, Washing
ton, d. c., for % cents copy.
It is estimated that more than IL
600 square miles Of swamp land in the
United States contains peat beds of
good quality and that the total avail
able fuel in these deposits would |
amount to more than 10000, 100000 |
tons, a quality which, if it could be
distributed, would furnish heat and |
power for the entire country COR many
years. Much of this material is in
states that have no known deposits of |
coal and which on account of their
cold climate and their manufacturing |
industries consume large quantities of |
fuel, a constantly increasing percent |
age of which has to be brought by |
rail and water from distant mines. Ac- |
cordlng to q recent estimate made by |
Professor +. K. Soper in paper on the |
peat deposits of Minnesota, published |
by the Minnesota Geological Survey, |
more than 100000, 600 tons of air
dried peat fuel can be obtained from
deposits in that state alone. The utili
cation Of these deposits would augment
the local fuel supply and incidentally
relieve the strain on our transportation
facilities by furnishing fuel to an area
where coal is now brought by the long
est haul.
Peat produced by the decomposition
| Of sphagnum moss is so antiseptic and
| absorbent that it is used as o dressing
for wounds and is an excellent sub
stitute for medicated cotton This fact
vas recognized many years ago in
| Europe, where sphagnum peat is now
extensively used in preparing surgical
dressings According to Professor
Soper, who has made a detailed study
/ II the peat deposits in northern United
States, there are many square miles OF
| sphagnum bog in the northern coun-
| ties of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Mich
igan that would supply material suita-
bic for antiseptic applications. 1t will
Tot he necessary to incur the expense
Of deep excavation, for immense guam
titles OF sphagnum can be taken from
| she upper parts Of the deposits. Sphag-
1um peat Is also abundant in Maine,
| and some il found in New York and
northeastern Pennsylvania
The increased use of peat and its
PRODUCTS in eompounding fertilizers
may also afford relief from the present
'horta@e Of fertilizing minerals IN the
United States Peat has long been
5sed IN agriculture in this country, hav-
ing been either applied directly to the
land or used as filler for commercial
fertilizers. I'm view OF tine curtailmeEt
II the imports of potash aud nitratcs
since the war began and the conse-
iuent shortage of fertilizers the time
has come when the prodcers of peat
might make better known its value in
agriculture.
Analyses Of the peats of the United
States show that they are very rich III
. combined nitrogen, from 20 to 50 per
ent OF which, proportion that in
: iomc pe8ts ,a0iopntS 70 more than two
per cent OF their dry weight. may be
ecovered in the form Of ammonium
ulphate, one OF the costly ingredients
| If modern commercial fertilizers Peat
nay also be q source of nitrates 4
ulturc bed OF peat, if treated with .
iilute solution of ammonium sulphato
and then inocupated with nitrifying
organisms Is said to yield 0S2 per cent
II nitrates and with repeated treat
lont about four per cent. II has not
'ecn shown that this process Will pro.
! luce latrates on a large scale, but in
view Of the rare occurrence and present
shortage of these salts, which arc 50
. essential to agriculture aud to the ex
p oiosivos industry, the process strongly
. nrites further aud larger experiments
Peat null may be proftablv employed
IS an absorbent of the valuable nitrog
nous liquids Of stables, which are
, ordinarily wasted. When so used il
rot only absovbs LIQUIDS but checks
! decomposition and absorbs gases Sc
] hat it should be an effective deodorizer
ana disinfectant. For this use it i