Dr. North on Fuel. 73 
preparing, and transporting peat, from one peat basin or 
marsh, upon the lesser branch of the river Loire, in the north- 
west part of France. ‘This peat bed cannot’ be a great dis- 
tance from the city of Nantes, where much peat is burnt, or 
even from the city of Paris.” ‘Those who may suppose peat 
wood to be used in France from necessity, are informed that 
in Paris, common — ood is said not to be dearer than in 
the city of New-Yor 
The labour of rept peat ood for fuel, (unless it can 
be cut by powerful machinery,) must always be somewhat 
greater, as the writer believes, although others think differ- 
ently, than that for preparing other wood, because it must be 
cut smaller, ant terwards seasoned. It shrinks much in 
seasoning. Dried peat is in small pieces, and liable to break, 
which makes it less convenient to transport than common 
firewood.. But as large masses of peat exist, and grow, in a 
small compass or space, ssid ik sometimes near navigable water, 
it possesses, in that respect, a very great advantage over com- 
mon firewood. For, by a short canal, or rail-way, the ex- 
one be of esak may be saved, and that expense is known to 
be often very great, for ordinary wood. 
Bis the bituminous principle be usefully iS ean to an- 
thracitic coal-fires, by the agency of peat be 
made useful in this country for producing gas lights ? PCan it 
be charred to profit, in any part of this country? What must 
be the value of firewood standing on farms, before at, 
if existing on said farms, can be made profitable to aya oa 
ers? To this last question, the writer can give an a 
which is, that common wood must be worth about one “Jollar 
per cord, while standing. 
From the data above paren, the reflecting reader will per 
ceive, that c the diminution of the more usual so 
of firewood, peat, or peat-wood, may be made useful, po el 
the present age, to the owners of many farms, and to their 
more immediate neighbours. Indeed peat is now in actual 
se, in many parts of this country, as well as in Europe. But 
it is believed that even in Europe, it is not in use, so much as 
some of our eo than any other sort of wood, an proba- 
VOL. L—NO, I. 
