78 



Report upon the Acjricultural Features 



tlireshinr;, but they come 'on their own account. I have, as the parties pub- 

 licly state, to thank the excellent saving of time and money, in consequence of 

 the straw firing, for this. Facts are stubborn things ; a proof of this is that 

 there arc already in this short time, within a distance of a few miles, five of 

 your straw-burning machines in activity, and are competing with me. As 

 you see, I can only give you good news, and should conclude my writing with 

 these few words, that I never had the least difficulty either in the treatment 

 or working of the locomotive with straw for straw firing. You have made the 

 whole process of firing your locomotive by straw quite in accordance with the 

 method the farmer employs in firing his baking and warming stoves. He 

 stands before the hopper-like opening, on the lower part of the locomotive, 



Figs. 26, 27. — Showing Side and End Elevations of Messrs. Garrett and 

 Son's Straw-hurning Portable Engine. 



. 26. — Side Elevation 



Fig. 27.— End Elevation. 



with a long fork fastened on a long wooden handle ; as soon as he thinks it 

 necessary to get the stiaw into the box, which he must know at a glance at 

 the fire-box and the pressure gauge, he puts his fork into the heap of straw 

 a few feet distant from him, and gets a quantity of 3 lbs. to 4 lbs., shakes this 

 properly, whereby the straw which is perhaps too damj) falls down, and puts 

 the dry and useful straw in a loose state by his fork into the fire-door. At 

 the same time he observes the condition of the straw previously in process of 

 consumption, and shakes the cinders, if it appears necessary, with his fork to 

 prevent the accumulation of slag, which is as troublesome when burning straw 

 as household coal, and on the removal of which depends the whole firing. An 

 essential point in your engine for practical use is the top fire-door intended for 

 coal fire. The same must, on firing with straw, be sometimes opened in order 

 to remove by an ordinary broom the cobweb-like cinders which are raised by 



