HARVESTING THE PEAT. 749 



It may here be noted that several attempts have also been 

 made to carbonise peat and produce peat-charcoal in order to 

 increase its market value as a fuel. 



4. Peat-Litter* 



Peat is not used for many other purposes besides fuel. Its 

 use, however, for stable litter is increasing in importance, and is 

 especially noticeable here, as there is a hope that by this means 

 the disastrous use of forest litter may be stopped. 



Peat forms a much better stable litter than either forest litter 

 or straw, for it is t 3 — 5 times as absorptive of fluids as the latter, 

 and thus prevents any waste of animal manure, either in the form 

 of urine or ammonia. The humic acid in peat also acts benefi- 

 cially on the salts, alkalis and alkaline earths of the soil. Peat also 

 improves the soil physically more than other litter, retaining 

 moisture in loose soil, loosening binding soil and especially in 

 promoting j)orosity. Its capacity for heating the soil has been 

 clearly shown in vineyards. The air in stables in which peat- 

 litter is used is free from ammonia and is thus made healthy ; 

 the beasts have a dry, soft bedding, the litter is also prefer- 

 able to other kinds for horses, cattle, sheep, pigs or poultry. 

 Peat is also used in the dry-earth closet system. Only loose 

 textured, mossy or fibrous peat, forming the superficial layer 

 of bogs, is used for litter. In some bogs layers of the fibrous 

 peat and amorphous black peat alternate, preparation of peat 

 for fuel and litter should then proceed simultaneously. The 

 peat should be dried and then finely subdivided in a peat-mill 

 (fig. 328) and pressed into rectangular bales weighing 2 to 3 cwt. 

 each. [Such bales of peat-litter are now largely imported from 

 Holland into London, for Omnibus and Tramway Stables. — Tr.] 



* Vide Dr. Fiirst, die Toifstreu ; aud also Bayerische's Torfstreuund Mulhverk, 

 Haspelmoor. 



t According to experiments made by \A^olln}% Classen and Petermanu, the 

 following are the absorptive capacities of different substances. 



Percentage of | Percentage of 



weight. ' ■weight. 



Spruce-needles 161 i Mo.ss 409 



Scotch jjine ,, 207 > Spruce saw-dust 440 



Oak dead leaves 242 Haspelmoor peat-litter 636 



Beech,, ,, 257 Oldenburg peat 659 



Wood-wool 285-440 Haspelmoor prepared peat- 

 Rye straw 304 meal 690 



