HARVESTING THE PEAT. 733 



though sometimes necessary where there is a superfluity of water. 

 Each year's area should consist of a long, narrow^ strip, parallel 

 lengthwise to the subsidiary drain. Such a shape allows a 

 number of men to W'ork simultaneously, renders drainage by 

 means of a single trench possible and allows sufficient room for 

 drying the turves, which are generally piled on a strip of land 

 pre\'iously marked out and adjoining the digging trench. All 

 vegetation should be cleared from this strip, so that the turves 

 may be easily piled and thoroughly exposed to the air. 



(iii) Laijinfi out Roads. 



The turves must either be dried on land adjoining the bog, or 

 on the bog itself and then removed. In either case roads are 

 necessary, which should be made on the driest part of the 

 bog, be as permanent as possible and cross the drains only 

 when this is unavoidable, in order to avoid the expense of 

 bridges. Eoads should be made of fascines and sifted gravel 

 whenever they traverse wet ground. If the turves are removed 

 in wheelbarrows from the digging-trench to the drying-ground, 

 only a narrow pathway is required. 



(iv) Removal of Wood, 

 On many bogs a certain number of trees are growing (moun- 

 tain or Scotch pine, alder, birch, kc), and their usually 

 spreading roots often interfere considerably with the digging. 

 These trees should be felled a year before the turves are dug, 

 and their main roots extracted. 



(vj Manaf/ement of Lahour. 

 Labourers employed in digging turves should be divided into 

 parties, as in the case of forest Avork. According to the methods 

 employed for digging and drying the turves, three, four or even 

 more workmen form a party. The digging-ground is then sub- 

 divided into as many sections as there are parties of labourers, 

 provided a certain length is not exceeded, in North Germany 

 usually 2 or 3 yards (meters), and in South Germany 4 or more 

 yards, per man. These measured lengths are staked out, num- 

 bered and distributed by lot among the parties. 



