Table of Contents
PART I.—ORIGIN, VARIETIES, AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERS OF PEAT.
1. What is Peat? 9
2. Conditions of its Formation 9
3. Different Kinds of Peat 14
Swamp Muck 17
Salt Mud 18
4. Chemical Characters/Composition of Peat 18
a. Organic or combustible part 19
Ulmic and Humic Acids 19
Ulmin & Humin—Crenic and Apocrenic Acids 20
Ulmates and Humates 21
Crenates and Apocrenates 22
Gein and Geic Acid—Elementary Composition of Peat 23
Ultimate Composition of the Constituents of Peat 25
b. Mineral Part—Ashes 25
5. Chemical Changes that occur in the Formation of Peat 26
PART II.—ON THE AGRICULTURAL USES OF PEAT AND SWAMP MUCK.
1. Characters that adapt Peat for Agricultural Use 28
A. Physical or Amending Characters 28
I. Absorbent Power for Water, as Liquid and Vapor 31
II. Absorbent Power for Ammonia 32
III. Influence in Disintegrating the Soil 34
IV. Influence on the Temperature of Soils 37
B. Fertilizing Characters 38
I. Fertilizing Effects of the Organic Matters, excluding Nitrogen 38
1. Organic Matters as Direct Food to Plants 38
2. Organic Matters as Indirect Food to Plants 40
3. Nitrogen, including Ammonia and Nitric Acid 42
II. Fertilizing Effects of the Ashes of Peat 46
III. Peculiarities in the Decay of Peat 50
IV. Comparison of Peat with Stable Manure 51
2. Characters of Peat that are detrimental, or that need correction 54
I. Possible Bad Effects on Heavy Soils 54
II. Noxious Ingredients 55
a. Vitriol Peats 55
b. Acidity—c. Resinous Matters 57
3. Preparation of Peat for Agricultural Use 57
a. Excavation 57
b. Exposure, or Seasoning 59
c. Composting 62
Compost with Stable Manure 63
Compost with Night Soil 68
Compost with Guano 69
Compost with Fish and other Animal Matters 70
Compost with Potash-lye & Soda-ash; Wood-ashes, Shellmarl, Lime 72
Compost with Salt and Lime Mixture 73
Compost with Carbonate of Lime, Mortar, etc. 75
4. The Author's Experiments with Peat Composts 77
5. Examination of Peat with reference to its Agricultural Value 81
6. Composition of Connecticut Peats 84
Method of Analysis 86
Tables of Composition 88-90
PART III.—ON PEAT AS FUEL
1. Kinds of Peat that Make the Best Fuel 92
2. Density of Peat 95
3. Heating Power of Peat as Compared with Wood and Anthracite 96
4. Modes of Burning Peat 102
5. Burning of Broken Peat 103
6. Hygroscopic Water of Peat-fuel 104
7. Shrinkage 105
8. Time of Excavation and Drying 105
9. Drainage 106
10. Cutting of Peat for Fuel—a. Preparations for Cutting 107
b. Cutting by Hand; with Common Spade; German Peat Knife 108
Cutting with Irish Slane—System employed in East Friesland 109
c. Machines for Cutting Peat; Brosowsky's Machine; Lepreux's Machine 113
11. Dredging of Peat 115
12. Moulding of Peat 116
13. Preparation of Peat-fuel by Machinery, etc 116
A. Condensation by Pressure 116
a. Of Fresh Peat 116
Mannhardt's Method 117
The Neustadt Method 119
b. Of Air-dried Peat—Lithuanian Process 120
c. Of Hot-dried Peat—Gwynne's Method; Exter's Method 121
Elsberg's Process 125
B. Condensation without Pressure 127
a. Of Earthy Peat 128
Challeton's Method, at Mennecy, France 128
Challeton's Method, at Langenberg, Prussia 130
Roberts' Method, at Pekin, N. Y. 132
Siemens' Method, at Boeblingen, Wirtemberg 134
b. Condensation of Fibrous Peat—Weber's Method; 135
Hot-drying Gysser's Method and Machine 140
c. Condensation of Peat of all Kinds—Schlickeysen's Machine 144
Leavitt's Peat Mill, Lexington, Mass 146
Ashcroft & Betteley's Machine 148
Versmann's Machine, Great Britain 150
Buckland's Machine, Great Britain 151
14. Artificial Drying of Peat 152
15. Peat Coal 157
16. Metallurgical Uses of Peat 162
17. Peat as a Source of Illuminating Gas 165
18. Examination of Peat with regard to its Value as Fuel 167
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