The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1918-08-22
Peat in Maine.

For several years occasional references
have been made to the supply of peat in
Maine, but not a great deal of attention
has been paid to the same, owing largely
to the ease with which we secured a plen-
tiful supply of coal, and also the COM
parative low cost and liability of wood
in this State.
Now we are facing vastly different
condition. 1t is probable that this year
and for some years to come-at least for
the duration of the war-our supply of
coal will be limited and during this space
of time, owing to scarcity of labor, wood
will not only be high, but in many local.
tiles extremely difficult to get.
For these reasons peat becomes more
important subject for consideration here
in this State where the peat deposits are
ample, and where it needs simply tie edu-
cation of our people as to the preparation
and as to the use of peat to start cam
paign, which will result in great deal for
our State both in comfort and in actual
money value.
Under test conditions in Europe, IN
comparison with steam coal OF GOOD
quality, peat, when fired under boilers,
has been found to be worth about live
ninths of ton of good coal. Under the
usual methods of firing, however, there
is likely to be greater loss of heat units
from the coal than from the peat, espec-
tally if the latter is in the form OF ar
dried machine peat. The machine-drled
peat does not clinker or give Oft any
volatile matter in the form of black
smoke. 1t burns up completely, leaving
only powdery-like ash which is small IN
bulk compared with the usual fuel. 1t
makes good fuel bed in the furnace and
burns with a long, bright, clear flame,
without smoke or sulphurous gases, SO
that neither flues, CRATES or boiler plates
are corroded or clogged.
In burning peat it is of advantage not
to stir the fire, which causes the fuel to
break up and drop through the crates, or
to give it too much draft, for then it
burns with too great intensity.
AS a domestic fuel peat is clean, can
be made to burn slowly or rapidly as de-
sired, by regulating the drafts, is very
easily handled and is so efficient that it
commands ready sale at good prices to
all who have had an opportunity to try it.
1t would seem, therefore, that there is
good field for it's introduction and use
in Maine, both for domestic and manu-
featuring purposes.
In Maine there are so many small peat
bogs which, although too small for ex-
ploitation on a large scale, could be made
to furnish fuel to single small factory
or to community for a long time.
The principal points to be borne in
mind in such exploitation are that the
simplest equipment that is well designed
to produce the desired quantity of sala-
BILE form of fuel is the one most likely to
be successful and that every added pro-
cess of handling adds many times to the
first cost of equipment and to the diff
culties of producing an article which can
be sold for sufficient to pay the cost of
preparation.
The area of peat land actually tested in
Maine is estimated at Is square miles.
The average depth of the peat is about
ten feet. 1t is calculated that the bogs
tested are capable of yielding at least
thirty-four million short tons of air-dried
machine peat, which at So a ton would
represent value of more than one hun
dred million dollars
1t is probable that the deposits tested
form only from one-tentk to one-fifth of
the total peat resources of this State,
hence, it can readily be seen that we
have on our hand a product extremely
valuable, both from the standpoint of
money and perhaps more important at
present, the standpoint of economy of