268 BEDDING. 



Quality and uses. From a bedding point of view, the 

 transformation in question is chiefly one of porosity, in which 

 the loosely arranged stems and leaves of the bog plants 

 gradually unite together until at last they assume more or 

 less the character of solid stone. The stage of peat most 

 suitable for our purpose, is an early one (Fig. 31), in which 

 the peat is somewhat similar to wood in composition, very 

 spongy, of a light brown colour, and light in weight. In 

 a later stage of its formation, it is dense, heavy, dark brown 

 in colour, and resembles lignite or even coal in appearance. 

 This inferior peat (Fig. 32) is obtained in bogs of old forma- 

 tion, and contains a comparatively large amount of earthy 

 matter. The best kind of peat for bedding purposes, has only 

 about 1 5 per cent, of water, and not more than 4 or 5 per cent, 

 of ash. Peat, like coal, ignites with difficulty as compared to 

 wood or straw ; but when properly arranged as a fire, it burns 

 well, and throws out great heat. To test for the presence of 

 an excess of earthy matter in peat, we may place a small 

 quantity of the peat on an iron shovel and heat it over a fire. 

 A good specimen thus treated will ignite when sufficiently 

 heated ; will smoulder, until it becomes gradually consumed ; 

 and will leave a light and powdery ash, which is like that of 

 wood and which can be easily blown away. 



The special advantage which peat possesses over other 

 kinds of bedding, is its high power of absorption for both 

 liquids and gases a property which is naturally due to its 

 great porosity. The larger the proportion of earthy matter, 

 the heavier and less porous will the peat become. The 

 presence of earthy matter also renders the peat dirty in use ; 

 especially because, when moistened with a fluid like urine, the 

 earthy matter will form mud on the floor. When a good 

 sample of peat is closely examined, it will be found to largely 

 consist of fine fibres, and with no superabundance of cotton- 

 grass (Fig. 33), the tufts of which are not very absorbent. In 



