C 111 ] 
plants, and weeds ; and lying continually in water 
makes it foft and eafy to be cut thro’ with a {harp 
peat-fpade. The colour is of a blackifh brown j 
and if it be chewed between the teeth it is foft, and 
has no gritty matter in it, which the clob has. It is 
indeed of a different confidence in different places, 
fome being fofter, and fome firmer and harder ; 
which may perhaps arife from the different forts of 
trees it is compofed of. 
To get at the peat, they hid dig up the furface of 
the ground till they come to the clob, throwing the 
earth into the empty pits, from which they have 
already cut out the peat : they then dig up the clob, 
and either fell it to the poor for firing, or lay it in heaps, 
to burn to afhes, to be fold to the farmers. Then they 
cut out the true peat, with a peculiar kind of fpade, 
in long pieces, vulgarly called long fquares, about 
three inches and a half broad every way, and four 
feet long, if the thicknefs of the peat will allow that 
length : and as they cut it out in long pieces, they 
lay them in a regular order carefully, in rows upon 
the ground, to be dried by the fun and wind. If 
the peat be thick, when they have cut one length of 
the fpade for fome didance, they return again, and 
cut down another length of it (or four feet), and fo 
on, till they reach the gravelly bottom, if they can 
diffidently drain it of the water, which continually 
comes in, tho’ proper perfons are employed to pump 
out as much of the water as they can all the time. 
As the peat dries, and is turned by perfons appointed 
for that purpofe, to dry it the better, it breaks into' 
fmaller lengths, and then it ferves not only the poor y 
but many other perfons, for firing, and gives a good 
heat. 
