Mosses and Peat 



At present the city of Glasgow has made a profitable 

 business of reclaiming peat mosses by utilising a con- 

 veniently placed moor for the deposit of city refuse. 



All sorts of attempts have been and are still being 

 carried on with a view to utilising directly the great 

 masses of peat which are still " wastes " both in Scotland 

 and Ireland. Sometimes fuel such as briquets of peat 

 mixed with dross are manufactured. String, cloth, rugs, 

 horse clothing, paper mats, and even cattle food have been 

 made out of peat. The last is produced by shredding 

 the peat and saturating it with molasses. 



But there is a lamentable history of financial failures 

 connected with such undertakings of which there have 

 been a very large number. 



The latest method (which is said to have proved a 

 success in Sweden) consists in only partially drying the 

 peat, and burning it on the spot. By this use of it as 

 fuel, electricity is generated and is sold to neighbouring 

 consumers. 



But when there is less fear as to the security of 

 commercial enterprises, and especially of landed pro- 

 perty in Britain, there can be but little doubt that the 

 simple and obvious course will be followed. Once 

 again there will be a great Caledonian forest of Scotch 

 fir, and even in Ireland it may be that there will be 

 again great and valuable forests, providing employ- 

 ment for thousands of working men and solving many 

 distressful problems. 



When one reflects on the millions of money annually 

 wasted in wildcat schemes, such as gold mines and the 

 like in the most out of the way parts of the earth, it is 

 strange to think that such large areas of Britain are still 

 awaiting development. 



1 Cserey. » Golenkin. ^ Fruh and Schroter. 



■* Singer. s Shaler. 



78 



