The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-17

Chemicals have been used success
fully, but this also makes the fuel
cost too much money when # l.
ready for use Out of the necessit,,
for a cheap but excellent method
of preparing peat for fuel the Gar
nett system was developed.
The Garnett machine runs ovar
the peat deposit, lifting a coptin,.
Gus slice of peat into itself AZ !,
moves forward. This peat is mace
ated and mixed with water until ~
combination has about the copsief-
ency of tar or thick paint This
mixture is discharged by the ma
chine in ribbons, three or fonr'
inches thick, with just enough con
sistenoy to retain its shane vbiio
drying in the open air When an
drying is complete, the Fesultsr,
slabs have their moisture content
reduced to twenty-five per cent or
less. In this slab form it can he
used as fuerin the home or in fac.
tories, but when it is ground nm
and made into atomized fuel still
better results are obtained.
Much Money i'm Peat.
It is figured that this fuel beat
commercially dry and loaded nm
cars for delivery, will cost onIv
$3.50 per ton. 1t is hoped that tia
cost will never run above 50 per
ton. Then, if the whole peat s:i,,-
ply in the United States were val
led at a selling price of $3.50 per
ton, the total wealth represented IN
the peat beds of the country is the
stupendeus sum Of s45. 800, 900 600.
The deposits in Minnesota alone
would represent $24, SOC. 600 900. a
sum almost equal to the cost of the
World war to the United States.
Where the peat deposit is onlv
five feet thick, the yield of peat
IS a thousand tons of commercially
dry peat to the acre. Over a large
area 80 miles northwest of Duluth
the peat deposit is ninety feet
thick, which means that the yield
per acre will be $4,000 tons. TIE
Garnett process enable one machine
10 make from three to five tons Of
dry peat fuel in an hour. Other
machines are in process of develop
nent, some of them in use One
machine is designed especially for
making the peat into briquettes for
home use. This use of-peat is lead
ing to the Installation of small
plants near communities wher9
there is no great amount of CON-
mercial use for peat, but where
make a market for the
fuel, saving freight charges by
digging it close to where it is to
be used.
Peat fuel can and will be used
in gas producers. for it develops
gas easily and regularly and tA5
process allows the saving of the
valuable by-products that the peat
contains. Some of these are am
monium sulphate. ereOsote, petrol
cum, oils, asphalt and charcoal.
The Europeans, particularly the
Germans, have developed this phase
under the pressure of necessity due
TO the loss of former coal fields. IN
fact, the report is that they are now
doing about everything economic
ally with peat that they once did
with coal.
Nor is this the limit of this u
usual wonder worker. The black
kumifed peat makes fine cattle feed
after being dried down and screen
ed. This peat powder acts as an
and Toughage for the
high power feeds made from the
residues from beet and sugar re-
fneries and it is very easily di-
gested. Peat is also used as fer
;iIizer and filler and absorbent Of
the more volatile constituents. 1t
has a steady market for this PRc-
pose. And it is to be remember
ed that the burning of peat for fuel
will make for cleaner homes and
cities. Peat produces very little
smoke and a small residum of fer
tilizer ash which is mighty good Tor
the garden
Mr.. Richardson, whose govern
ment work makes him a close stu
dent of the great laboratory Of all
out-of-doors, has talked and plead
I'd for consideration for the peat
wealth for many years. Now he
feels confident and comfortable.
The peat movement is on and, ap-
parently, it has come to stay and
develop quickly into vast indus
try.