From Introduction: "The bulletin sets forth the results of an investigation that was undertaken to determine whether peat, a fuel widely used in some countries, could be made serviceable in the United States, where, through labor and economic conditions differ from those in peat-using countries, there are opportunities for the introduction of a fuel selling at prices that should make the mining and shipment of peat to near-by markets profitable."

From Scope of Report: "The purpose of this report is, therefore, to present in convenient form all the more important data accumulated in the course of the tests described, in order that the results may be readily accessible both to the Government officials having charge of the design, purchase, or care of power plants and to all persons interested in the development of the internal-combustion engine and the gas producer as means for utilizing the energy of fuels."