History and uses of Peat. '255 



siderable flame, and is soon consumed. But little smoke ex- 

 hales, and whitish and very light ashes remain.* 



2dly. Medium peat is blacker, less porous, and heavier 

 than the light ; and it contains but few reeds. Only some 

 very small filaments are found in it ; it has few or no shells. 

 It kindles with more difficulty than the preceding, burns less 

 lively at first, and has less flame. There is a thicker, more 

 fetid, and more abundant smoke. It gives less heat, and is 

 consumed more slowly, and leaves a heavy, yellow kind of 

 ashes, 



3dly. Hard peat is of a still more intense black than the 

 medium, and heavier than the two others. It is kindled with 

 more difficulty than the preceding, has less flame, but is more 

 lively ; it exhales abundant smoke, which is thick, black, and 

 very fetid ; furnishes a very penetrating heat, consumes slow- 

 ly, and continues on fire a long time, leaving a very reddish 

 kind of ashes. There is no vestige of shells ; and scarcely 

 are there the slightest traces of the filaments of plants. 



We might describe several intermediate varieties ; and be- 

 tween the first and the third, there are innumerable shades. 

 These three kinds, however, are the only ones distinguished 

 in commerce, all the others according to their analogy being 

 confounded with them. But there are two other kinds, 

 which, on account of their inferior quality, require some at- 

 tention. 



One of these is whitish, heavy, full of shells, mixed with an 

 earth, and is called earthy peat. The other is clear brown^ 

 porous and light, full of holes, resembling rather a package 

 of moss than peat, whence it is callpd moss peat. So httle 

 account is made of these two kinds, that they are never work- 

 ed, unless they are removed for the sake of finding good 

 peat. They are thrown aside with the rubbish, or better 

 burned to make a cheap kind of ashes. 



7. The working of Peat Beds. 



When peat beds have been sounded, and their dimensions 

 and qualities have been explored, the peat is to be remov- 

 ed, in order to render the manipulations which are necessary 

 to fit it for commerce. These operations consist in dividing 

 the masses, cutting them into small parallelopipedons, which 



* It is believed that light peat is the variety that has been most used in the 

 United States. — Trans, 



