( KOM WOOD AND COAL j 



clay can be procured, (with sand on the top, to till the cracks as 

 it dries,) as a covering, which should he preferred in all cast - 

 the evils may be reduced; but the best manner is. undoubted!] 

 to pile the wood in single lengths, and if the fine coal is used 

 to fill the interstices, and can be made subservient in it <=■ 

 combustion to produce the required beat or any portion ot 

 the heat necessary to char the wood, that portion which can b< 

 so used is as effectual as the combustion of an equal portion of 

 the char. The process being, when conducted in retorts, similai 

 to that of distillation, the qualities of the wood necessar} to I" 

 expelled being volatile, no necessity exists that any combustion 

 should take place either in the wood or char: yet this cannol 

 be entirely prevented, in the common process, unless som 

 means are devised to burn the hydrogen gas which escapes. and 

 make it applicable to produce the heat necessary to char th( 

 wood as is done when the process is conducted in retorts. Tie 

 hard texture of the coal will be in proportion to the heat given it. 

 and the exclusion of air; the advantage therefore of using clay 

 will be obvious from its being a bad conductor of heat, and a 

 good barrier to exclude the air. 



I have been informed by a gentleman well acquainted with 

 the iron works in this state, that in consequence of the slow 

 growth of the extensive forests belonging to the same, not 

 being sufficient to furnish a constant SUppIj of charcoal, man) 

 of the works are obliged to suspend their operations, about 

 three months in each year, by which \eiy great loss is sustained. 

 If an improvement can be made in the manner of producing 

 the charcoal required, by which these works, and all other! 

 similarly situated shall be enabled, from their present forests, 

 to continue their operations without interruption, Buch an im- 

 provement must be considered as important, not onlj to indi 

 viduals, but to the community generally. 



A series of experiments was made on a largi numbi i ol 

 woods, tn determine the difference, if any existed, in the pro- 

 duct of charcoal from green and dry wood; and these being 

 taken from the same sticks in equal weights when green, the) 

 would both contain the same quantity of ligneous matter. Thi 



