Different Kinds of Coal-gas Burners, SfC, 237 



average, about Is. Of course, the expense will be much di- 

 minished, if, instead of keeping the gas burning all the time, 

 at the rate stated, the flame is reduced so as merely to keep 

 the object warm, after bringing it to the due degree. 



Now, though this is no great expense, especially considering 

 the cleanliness and other advantages, yet, were it to be used 

 as the only source of heat for cooking, the expense would far 

 exceed that incurred by the use of coal. Where, therefore, 

 economy is an object, I fear that cooking by gas ought not to 

 be recommended ; but where convenience and cleanliness are 

 more desired than economy, then, certainly, gas may, for many 

 purposes, be employed, particularly as the expense, keeping in 

 view the quantity used, is by no means great. It has been sup- 

 posed by some, that, in addition to the expense, another ob- 

 jection against the use of gas for cooking, arises from the time 

 required. In a common pot, half a gallon of water can be 

 made to boil in from five to seven minutes, according to the 

 state of the fire ; whereas with gas, suppose the consumpt at 

 the rate of 3 feet per hour, it requires in the same vessel a 

 quarter of an hour ; the time being as about three to one. 

 But though there is a difference in the time required for boil- 

 ing water, there is not the same diff'erence with regard to the 

 cooking. When, for instance, potatoes with one-fourth of a 

 gallon of water, were placed in a pot on a fire, the water was 

 boiled in about five minutes, and in about thirty minutes more, 

 the potatoes were cooked. The same quantity of potatoes 

 and of water when put over a gas-burner, required a quarter of 

 an hour to boil the water, and the same additional time as be- 

 fore for the potatoes being ready. Though, -therefore, the 

 time required for boiling the water is greater, yet there is not 

 much diff'erence in the whole time ; in fact, it is just the ad- 

 ditional time necessary for causing the water to boil. 



There is another application of gas as a source of heat, 

 which, so far as I know, has not yet been put in practice, but 

 which, I have every reason to believe, will be found beneficial. 

 I allude to heating water for a bath. 



I have already mentioned, that, by the consumpt of a foot of 

 gas, one gallon of water may be raised from 50° to 100°, or a 



VOL, XXIX, NO. LVIII.-— OCTOBER 1840. B 



