816 DIGGING AND PKEPAKATION OF PEAT. 



been made in this direction than in any other. No attempt, 

 however, to press raw peat has succeeded, partly on account of 

 the fibrous nature of the peat, which caused it to swell again 

 after the pressure had been removed, and partly because the 

 valuable humus-carbon escaped with the water, and thus the 

 product deteriorated as a combustible. Other kinds of pressed 

 turves were too dense externally, and their interior either did 

 not burn well or else retained too much moisture. 



(d) Destruction of the Structure of the Peat, with or 

 without Pressure. It is now everywhere recognised that 

 the structure of the peat must be destroyed before the turves 

 are formed, and that, only a moderate pressure, if any at all, 

 is advisable. The apparatus of Schlickeysen and Geysser, 

 Gratjahn and Pelau, Mecke and Sander, Weber and Maft'ei, 

 are those best known for this method. 



(i.) Method of Schlickeysen* and G-eysser. A vertical axle 

 is moveable by steam-power in a vertical, hollow, cast-iron 

 vessel, with a funnel-shaped top. On the axle are six sharp 

 horizontal knives, fitted to it like the thread of a screw, while 

 six corresponding knives are on the walls of the vessel. There 

 is also a moveable base, which is attached to the axle and rests 

 on the real base of the vessel, and immediately above it are 

 two holes on opposite sides of the vessel through which the 

 prepared peat passes. The peat placed in the vessel while 

 the axle is in motion is cut into shreds by the knives, which 

 also cut through all pieces of roots ; it is at the same time 

 pressed slightly downwards by their screw-like action, and 

 finally passes out through the holes in a round rope-like mass 

 of stiff paste. This runs out continually on to a bench, and is 

 cut into pieces and dried. 



Although no water is added to that originally in the peat, 

 the latter is quite plastic. The fresh turves are moderately 

 dense ; though covered superficially with a smooth gelatinous 

 coating they are yet capable of being dried easily and 

 thoroughly. There is no loss of humous-carbon, which during 

 the macerating process becomes attached to the walls of the 

 vessel and issues from it as a glazed coating to the turf. In 

 twelve hours, 15,000 turves, each a foot long, can be cut from 



* Leo, "Die Konipression dcs ToiTcs." 



