7.U KICCIXG AND PllKPARATIOX OF PEAT. 



(b) Digging the Turves, 

 i. Season. 



it has already been stated that peat is damaj^ed by frost, and 

 this is the case both with uncut peat and turves. One or two 

 degrees below freezing point is sufficient to do the damage. 

 Frozen turves do not shrink after thawing, but dry the same 

 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 sufficiently early to 

 allow the turves to dry thoroughly. This also depends 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 

 sniiillcr than with brown peat. 



iii. Implements. 



All the iiu[)leni 'Uts used for digging turves are modifications 

 of the garden spade. 



The Frisian spade (fig. 317) is used for digging vertically; 

 the spades (figs. 818, 319) are used for digging horizontally, they 

 have short handles, but very sharp and perfectly flat blades. 

 The peat-spado (fig. 318) is in common use. Fig. 319 is a 



