1505-1906.] 399 



A.M.T.Mech.E., who courteously conducted them over the place 

 and graphically described the processes employed in the manu- 

 facture of the \ arious articles marketed by this enterprising 

 firm. It is gratifying to find an industry of this kind flourish- 

 ing in our country, while the up-to-date methods employed and 

 the energy and resource displayed augur well for its prosperity. 

 Mr. Garnett informed them that the works had been started 

 some three years ago, and that they had an area of i6o acres of 

 bogland, through which a miniature railway, i ^ mile long, 

 had been constructed to bring the peat to the works and ware- 

 houses, which are situated close to the road leading from 

 Maghery to Dungannon. The party were first conducted to 

 the terminus of the railway, where they found a 6-h.p. petrol 

 motor, with two trucks attached, and into these they clambered, 

 and were soon speeding across the bog, the novelty of the ex- 

 perience proving a source of much merriment. Having reached 

 the further terminus, the motor was reversed, and on the return 

 journey they stopped adjacent to where the peat-digging opera- 

 tion was proceeding. Here they saw the process of manufac- 

 ture of peat fuel, the various technicalities of which were lucidly 

 explained by Mr. Garnett. The upper layers of the peat, being 

 unsuitable for fuel, were removed, and a trench was cut down 

 to the underlying marl and terraced up one side. Here an 

 elevator is erected which is fed by a spading taken alternately 

 from the ascending terraces, and this material is conveyed to a 

 macerating machine, which thoroughly disintegrates and mixes 

 together the layers of different densities and delivers the pro- 

 duct through two orifices in a constant stream. As these 

 streams emerge from the macerator they are cut into lengths of 

 about a foot, and carried on boards to be spread out to dry. 

 The peat at this stage contains about 80 per cent, of moisture, 

 but after the thorough maceration this rapidly evaporates, and 

 in about a month the fuel is ready for market. These machines, 

 which are driven by electricity conveyed by a cable laid from 

 the factory, are capable of dealing with 16 tons of the dry fuel 

 per day. Having seen this process, the party returned to their 

 "illigant motor car" and soon reached the factory, where they 



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