Peat and its Products. 
769 
Holland consist of an upper layer of grey and a lower layer of 
black soil. The thickness varies considerably, but on an average 
the grey is one yard deep, and the black from two to three yards. 
In connection with this fact, it should be mentioned that 
the additional function of the ditches referred to in the cultiva- 
tion of buckwheat is to “ settle ” the subsoil. The intersection 
of the latter by ditches at distances of about 11 yards forms 
separate parts, which, through their own weight and the oozing 
of the water into the ditches, are caused to settle down and to 
become more compact. In new moors, therefore, the layer of 
turf is thicker than in those already under cultivation, although 
the quantity of soil may be the same. 
By means of spades and other implements the grey soil is 
now shaped into turfs, which are placed on a barrow in a drip- 
ping state, for they often contain 500 or 600 per cent, of water. 
They are then placed end-on against each other in the open, to 
be dried by the wind and sun. When they have acquired 
sufficient hardness to allow of their being manipulated without 
breaking, they are arranged horizontally in rows on and near 
each other to a height of about 3 feet, in the same way as the 
short or dredged turf ; this process is termed stacking in pyra- 
mids. The object is to dry them thoroughly, and hence, after 
some time, they are re-stacked in this form, the lower turfs 
coming uppermost, and the upper ones down below. When 
sufficiently dry they are stacked in large heaps. 
The fundamental substance of the moss litter is now ready for 
further treatment, and is carried in barges to the factory, where 
it is broken up into small bits by means of a “ devil ” disinte- 
grator. The product is then passed through a sieve, and thus 
two kinds of litter are obtained, the coarse and the fine. 
To reduce the volume of the material, and thus to make its 
transport feasible on a large scale, the litter is pressed into bales 
weighing about 300 lb. each, and bound with wire and laths of 
wood, when it is ready for market. 
The coarse litter is used in stables, and principally for 
horses. The “ fine ” litter is used for mixing with sewage, and a 
mixture of equal quantities produces a dry, dark, earthy sub- 
stance, which can be turned over with a spade, and is entirely 
inodorous. As a manure, this product is quite as valuable as 
the stable moss litter ; but whilst the latter in its original state 
is extensively used in all European countries, and also in 
America, the mixing of “fine” peat with sewage is but little 
known, although in some cities, such as Bremen, Brunswick, 
and Oldenburg, the product is largely used by the authorities. 
At Gothenburg, in Sweden, the “ fine ” peat has been utilised for 
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