T-i-Z 1)I(]GIN(; AND PREPARATION OF PEAT. 



the shaft throug^h the pan is made at the deepest part of the bog 

 its drainage may be too thorough, and thus injuriousl}' affect the 

 peat. 



Section V. — Harvesting the Peat. 



The removal of the peat may be effected in various ways. A 

 distinction is thus made between peat dug by manual labour 

 {Sticli(tirf), peat which is moulded into shape {Modvltorf) and 

 peat removed and prepared by machinery {MaHchincniorf). 



1. Peat DiKj }ii) Manual Labour. 

 Only fairly compact peat can be dug by means of spades and 

 the pieces, termed turves, are then dried in the sun and by 

 exposure to the air. The different operations in this case are 

 the preliminary works, and digging, drying and storing the 

 peat. 



(a) Preliminary Works, 

 (i) Snhsidmry Draiiianc 

 After the main drain and the most important side-drains have 

 been dug, further subsidiary drainage must be done annually. 

 This is effected by making a trench a little way from where the 

 peat is to be dug, parallel to the line of digging and per- 

 pendicular to the main drain, so that either the whole or a 

 portion of the area to be dug in a year may thus be drained. As 

 soon as the season's digging is over, the junction of each of these 

 drains with the main drain is closed in order to keep the bog 

 sufficiently moist. 



(ii) Lai/iiifi Out the Line for Digging. 



The area where the peat is to be extracted in accordance with 

 the plan of operations, should then be measured and marked out 

 with shallow trenches, so that the workmen mav know where to 

 dig. 



As a rule, the peat should be dug in successive years from 

 immediately adjoining areas and no wall of peat left standing 

 between them, which is usually a sign of bad management 



