THE PREPARATION OF HUMOGEN 153 



floor in heaps and air-dried. As soon as it is dried 

 it is packed in bags and is ready for use. 



Such is the process as it has been worked for some 

 time now at Greenford Green. The description, how- 

 ever, only gives a slight idea of what has been done. 

 While I was at the works, an experiment, suggested 

 by Mr. Holmes of Tuckswood Farm, Norwich, as a 

 result of the work he has done in sterilizing soil, was 

 in progress. It appears to be practicable to avoid 

 the use of the cauldrons for sterilizing the peat and 

 to substitute for them a rough frame which lies on 

 the ground, and carries his patent " norvic " cover. 

 Steam on being applied to this Hght frame, so far as 

 the experiments have gone, is able effectively to 

 sterilize the peat, and if the process on further ex- 

 periment proves satisfactory, there will be a con- 

 siderable saving of labour and space, and an increase 

 of convenience in the handling of the peat. 



Already in view of the increased demand a machine 

 is in course of installation which at first sight 

 resembles a tubular boiler. There are steam com- 

 partments at either end, and a large number of pipes 

 running between them . The proposal is to mount this 

 apparatus and to keep it revolving while the prepared 

 and inoculated peat is being automatically shovelled 

 against the warm pipes, a method that would greatly 

 shorten the time necessary for the whole operation, 

 and facilitate the very difficult process of drying. 



I have been at pains to describe the system 

 employed to prepare the peat at some length, as it is 

 clear from the description that the present rate of 

 manufacture could be very greatly extended. For 



