No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 155 



the iiimiiciinl iHiivin.u' place a( ('oloj-'iic. On the intli of July the 

 skinned carcass of a horse was, with its enlrals, \veij;liing in all about 

 1,200 pounds burnt <»v(i' an open tire. This fire was li<;ilited in a pit 

 about three feet dvv\K and oxer it the carcass was placed on two iron 

 rails about six feet lonu, lyiiii; diai^onaliy. For fuel there Nva® used 

 200 pounds wood, .'>00 pounds of briquettes and 50 pounds of coal 

 tar. At the b<\iiinnin<;- 50 ])ouiids of wood and 50 pounds of briquetts 

 were set on lire under the carcass, which was soaked in tar, and the 

 rest of th< fui-l was used as reipiired. The lire wa« lighted at G P. M. 

 and on the following day at 2 V. M. there was only a small heap of 

 siuoking ashes. Smoke lasted only until the tar was consumed. The 

 cost was ^1.75. Anotiher case lasted tw^enty-six hours and co«<t about 

 |2.00. A third case, this time an ox, lasted only eight and a quarter 

 hours and cost |1.75. It was found that tar keeps up the flame bet- 

 ter than resin and much better than petroleum. In these three 

 cases the influence of the wind was found to be unfavorable whether 

 it blew along or across the pit. It was therefore found to be desira- 

 ble to make the pits deejjcr and lay tilie carcasses further down and 

 this was arranged in the following w^ay: A pit was made about six 

 feet long, six feet broad and two and one-half feet deep, and then a 

 further excavation was made of the same length and breadth but 

 only 36 inches broad, so that part of the "floor'' of the upper exca- 

 vation formed the borders of the lower IS inches on each side. On 

 these borders the iron rails were placed diagonally, and on t(he rails 

 the disembowelled carcass was laid, belly downwards. The fuel 

 had, of course, beew previously laid on the floor of the lower pit. The 

 viscera was placed on the borders of the lower pit, whence, as the 

 process of cremation went on, they fell gradually into the glowing 

 mass. A few cases may be cited in illustration of the process: A 

 horse weighing about 1,000 pounds was cremated with 650 pounds 

 of wood; the operation took about ten hours and cost about |2.00. 

 Another horse, weighing about 850 pounds, was cremated with 450 

 jfounds of >\ood and oO pounds of tar; the operation took five and one- 

 half hours and cost |1.75. An ox weighing 600 pounds was cremated 

 with 300 pounds of wood and 30 pounds of tar; the o])eration lasted 

 three and on.e-half hours and cost |1.25. It is noted by the writers 

 that town prices were charged for the wood, in the country it would 

 be very much cheaper. They distinctly recommend the second 

 method (the double pit) as requiring less fuel and occupying less 

 time; besides, it is independent of the wind, and as the pits have 

 often to be dug the day before the operation this is no small matter. 

 They further recommend coal lar as preferable to petroleum, and 

 advise that the carcass be smeared with it before burning. The 

 place of cremation need not be very carefully cho^sen. Smoke ie 



