Peat is cut by hand by stripping the living turf, opening a bank 60-100 cm high, cutting blocks of about 30 x 10 x 10 cm with a slane or spade, and throwing them out to dry. The parent article’s own labour table sums to about 10-19 working days a year for one household’s 5,000-8,000 blocks, not the 8-15 days it states.
Part of Peat Harvesting
Overview of hand-cutting peat: tools, cutting method, bank management and the labour a household needs.
The Work In Four Parts
The working bank is 60-100 cm high and the block about 30 x 10 x 10 cm (parent article).
- Tools: a slane or spade (Hand Cutting Tools).
- Technique: strip, open a bank, cut blocks, throw them to dry (Cutting Technique & Block Sizes).
- Bank management: which direction to work, what to leave (Bank Management).
- Drying: the next season’s work (Drying & Curing).
Worked Example: A Household’s Labour
Inputs from the parent’s labour table: cutting 1,000-1,500 blocks a day (experienced); footing 2,000 blocks per half day; stacking 3,000 per half day; carrying 500 blocks per half day by barrow over 100 m. Household need: 5,000-8,000 blocks.
- Cutting: 5,000 ÷ 1,500 = 3.3 days to 8,000 ÷ 1,000 = 8 days.
- Footing: 5,000 ÷ 2,000 × 0.5 = 1.25 days to 8,000 ÷ 2,000 × 0.5 = 2 days.
- Stacking: 5,000 ÷ 3,000 × 0.5 = 0.8 days to 8,000 ÷ 3,000 × 0.5 = 1.3 days.
- Carrying: 5,000 ÷ 500 × 0.5 = 5 days to 8,000 ÷ 500 × 0.5 = 8 days.
- Total = 3.3 + 1.25 + 0.8 + 5 = 10.4 days to 8 + 2 + 1.3 + 8 = 19.3 days.
So the table gives roughly 10-19 days, higher than the 8-15 days the parent quotes. A beginner who cuts 400-700 blocks a day needs 7 to 20 days for cutting alone. Plan for the larger figure.
Common Mistakes
- Cutting in a hurry in wet weather. Cut when the forecast gives drying weather (Weather Dependency).
- Cutting more than you can foot. Blocks left lying in a heap rot rather than dry.
- Skipping the turf. Replace it so that the surface can recover.
Safety
A cut bank collapses and a drained bog drowns
A cut face is unstable; do not undercut it, and work from the top of the bank where you can. Water collects in the cut, and a deep, water-filled cut is a drowning risk. Work in pairs, wear boots with a good sole, and keep a sharp slane’s blade covered when carried. For banks deeper than 1.2 m, slope the face (Excavation).
What’s Next
- Learn next: Hand Cutting Tools — the cutting edge
- Combine with: Drying & Curing — what happens after the cut