with a
man's assistance, its entire load is taken up. The contents of one boat
are six square yards, with a depth of one foot, and a boat is emptied in
20 minutes time. Forty to forty-four boatloads are thus passed into the
pulverizing machine daily, by two chains of buckets.

The peat-mud falls from the buckets into a large wooden trough, which
branches into two channels, conducting to two large tubs standing side
by side. These tubs are 10 feet in diameter and 2 feet deep, and are
made of 2-inch plank. Within each tub is placed concentrically a
cylindrical sieve, or colander, 8 feet in diameter and 2 feet high, made
of 3/8 round iron, and it is within this that the peat is emptied. The
peat is stirred and forced through the meshes of the sieve by four arms
of a shaft that revolves 20 times per minute, the arms carrying at their
extremities stiff vertical brooms, which rub the inside of the sieve.

In these four tubs the peat is pulverized under addition of water; the
fine parts pass the sieves, while the latter retain the coarse fibres,
roots, etc. The peat-mud flows from the tubs into mills, made like a
flour mill, but the "stones" constructed of hard wood. The "stones" have
a diameter of 8 feet 6 inches; the lower is 8 inches; the upper 21
inches thick. The pressure of the upper "stone" is regulated by
adjusting the level of the discharging channel, so that the "stone" may
be more or less buoyed, or even fully floated by the water with which it
is surrounded.

The peat-substance, which is thus finely ground, gathers from the four
mills into a common reservoir whence it is lifted by a centrifugal pump
into a trough, which distributes it over the drying ground.

The drying ground consists of the surface formed by grading the sand
hill, on which the works are built, and includes about 30 English acres.
This is divided into small plots, each of which is enclosed on three
sides with a wall of earth, and on the fourth side by boards set on
edge. Each plot is surrounded by a ditch to carry off water, and by
means of portable troughs, the peat is let on from the main channel. The
peat-slime is run into these beds to the depth of 20 to 22 inches, an
acre being covered daily. After 4 to 8 days, according to the weather,
the peat has lost so much water, which, rapidly soaks off through the
sand, that its surface begins to crack. It is then thoroughly trodden by
men, shod with boards 5 inches by 10 inches, and after 6 to 8