804 DIGGING AND PREPARATION OF PEAT. 



size as when frozen ; they are, therefore, very porous, form 

 inferior fuel, and crumble easily. Digging turves should not 

 therefore commence until there is no longer danger from late 

 frosts. 



Although it may appear profitable to dig turves during dry 

 spring weather, yet experience proves that a single late frost 

 will damage the turves, so as to nullify all the advantage of 

 early work. In countries, therefore, with a mild climate, 

 digging turves should be commenced about the beginning of 

 May, in mountainous and northern countries, from the middle 

 to the end of May. The work should stop early enough to 

 allow the turves to dry thoroughly. This depends also on the 

 local climate and especially on the humidity of the air. 

 Digging turves generally terminates about the end of August, 

 if the turves are dried out of doors. When they are dried 

 artificially, the work may continue for a longer period. 



ii. Size of the Turves. 



The size of the turves depends on the compactness of the 

 peat and the time required for drying them. The lighter and 

 looser the peat, the better it holds together during digging 

 and drying, the more quickly can the turves be dried and the 

 larger they may be. In the case of black, amorphous peat, 

 the turves are smaller than with brown peat. 



iii. Implements. 



All the implements used for digging turves are modifications 

 of the garden spade. 



The Frisian spade (Fig. 389) is used for digging vertically ; 

 the spades (Figs. 390, 391) are used for digging horizontally ; 

 they have short handles, but very sharp and perfectly flat 

 blades. The peat-spade (Fig. 390) is in common use. Fig. 391 

 is a two-bladed spade with one blade at right angles to the 

 other, in order to loosen the turves on both sides at once ; it 

 is used in the Ehine provinces. Fig. 392 is a spade used for 

 vertical digging in Upper Bavaria, the turves being cut on all 

 sides with it. Fig. 393 represents a spade used in North 



