On Peat Charcoal. 
543 
considered particularly adapted to the pui-pose of preparing^ 
charcoal when the peat contains calcareous matter in any of ils 
forms, eitlier as carbonate or sulphate of lime, — these may some- 
times be found in tlie multitude of small shells that occur in the 
peat ; clay may also add to its value as a fertiUser on certain 
kinds of land. As to the peat itself, I should not recommend 
that which is very hght or spongy in its texture, as it will waste 
mucli in the process of charring ; mr wo'.dd 1 select that which 
has a bad drainage, for it will then be saturated with water, and 
its surface will be liable to be flooded by heavy rains, and incon- 
sequence of this there will be groat ditliculty in getting the peat 
dry enough for charring. However, these objections may be 
obviated by draining, w hich will cause the peat to become more 
solid ; it will then be better to dig, and will dry in a shorter space 
of time. To give a correctHle-cription of the quality of the peat 
from which we prepare charcoal, I ought to give its che- 
mical analysis; but to goto tlie expense of having an analysis 
made on the mere chance of having this es-ay approved by the 
Society, will be a hazardous expenditure. 1 shall, however, have 
much pleasure in forwarding samples of the charcoal, and also of 
the peat itself. Tlie following imperfect analysis may, perhaps, 
give an insight into the character of tlie peat employed. A 
sample of peat was talcen at 2 feet from the surface during dry 
weather, and at the usual season of charrincr; 500 srains dried at 
212° Fahr. diminished to 89 grai.i:-. The 89 grains exposed to 
a red heat were reduced to 35 gfrains, which were all the ashes 
obtained from 500 grains ot peat, or only 7 per cent. 
The analysis stands as follows in 100 parts : — 
Water 82 '2 grains. 
Vegetable matter ... 10-8 
Ashes . . . . . 7-0 
100 
The 35 grains of ashes, being tested, gave silica, potash, and sul- 
phuric acid in large, and lime and iron in small, proportions. 
On the ground for drying and burning peat, of which I have 
given a plan, the peat lies from 3 to 5 feet in thickness, and rests 
upon a gravelly subsoil. It was underdrained a few years since, 
but still in wet weather it would not allow the passage of Iseavy 
cattle over its surface ; it produced very bad crops, and its valus 
to rent might be about \0s. per acre. 
2. Mode of making the Heaps and burning the Charcoal. 
Before we proceed to these operations, we must select a piece of 
ground suitable for the digging and drying the peat. The best situa- 
tion is on one side or corner of a field that has a good exposure to 
the sun and wind ; by giving the preference to the corner of a field. 
