Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1922-10-13
Extension Div. Letter
U. Scientists Tell How. to Meet Coal
Shortage in state

Shortage in State
Minnesota farmers and small town
residents need not worry about the
threatened coal shortage. They can
provide themselves with winter IS
supply of fuel without going far afeld
fuel about equal to air-dried wood,
if the threatened coal shortage should
become a reality, and if they act at
once. That is the cheering word which
comes from w. R. Appleby, director Of
the Minnesota Mines Experiment Sta
ton, and Prof. Peter Christianson,
former president of the American
Peat Society, both of. the University Of
Minnesota. @E--.r
Professor 5Appleby.. and Professor
Christianson not only announce the
foregoing fact, but they have issued
statement telling farmers and others
just how to go about providing a win
ter's supply Of fuel from nearby peat
lands such as are scattered all over the
state. The gist of, this statement
follows: .-<~%& I
The sloughs, bogs, and marshes of
Minnesota contain a brown to black
ibrous soil known as peat. This usu-
ally varies in thickness from the edge
to the center Of the bog. AS a rule it
is thicker and of better fuel quality
toward the middle Of bog. The fur
ther down the better the fuel quality,
though near the bottom it is usually
mixed with sand and clay and is not
so good. :.
Bogs that have been drained for the
purpose of improving adjacent lands
for farming offer thesmost satisfactory
sources for miningi peat.
The simplest method is to select
place on a drained bog where the peat
is at least four feet thick. -.
With sharp fiat ditching spade dig
down as far as practicable. Prepare q
bank-like face from which blocks of
the peat may be cut with ease-blocks
larger than the ordinary building
brick. An old fashioned hay knife such
as; is used for cutting stacked hay is
a good implement for making the YER
tical, or up and down cuts. The hori-
zontal cuts may be made with
sharp-edged ditching spade.
The bricks should he stood on edge,
with air spaces between and \allowed
to dry. After they have dried in part,
they should be stood on end for further
drying. @,
/ IF the peat is not fbrous, as may be
the case we'll below the surface, and
crumbles too easily for handling, it
may be mixed with water and kneaded
into the consistency of ordinary NOR
tar, and then spread out on the smooth
surface Of the bog; ;tc a4depth of about
four inches and allowed to drain. AT,
ter it has drained off, it may be cut
into bricks, to be handled as the
b' icks of more fbr JUS peat.
A peat fire is started as a coal fire
is started. When thoroughly dried,
peat burns with comparatively short
flame, and if the draft is closed after
the peat is well ignitc1 the fire will
last much longer than corresponding
wood or coal fire. Peat has about the
same heat value, weight for weight, as
air-dried wood. v
With a moderate draft peat will pro-
ducc an intensely hot fire such as is
suitable for al kinds Of domestic and
power purposes.
There is st;ii time to prepare fuel
from peat for the coming winter.
The Mines Experiment Statio.. will
be glad to make analyses and render
all assistance possible, free of charge,
tc any who ,:.ay be interested in draw,
ing on the }s'1te's peat supplies for
their winter,sx fuel: Any such persons
are requested to address Mines Ex-
pertinent Station, University of Mime
sofa, Minneapdi is, MINI.
Nearly 1000 Students TO Register at
University Farm
With the opening Of the School Of
Agricu1tura at IIniversitv Farm Octa-