Description of an ceconomical culinary Stove. 359 



first flue (which in the present construction is over the upiiglit 

 side of the fire-place) should be made sloping upwards from near 

 its bottom. 



It xnW be found convenient to have a strip of iron plate, three 

 or four inches wide, riveted to the right-hand edge of the '.-ast- 

 iron plate, and turned up at a right angle against the sidf/cf t!;e 

 oven-flue, as the mortar is liable to crack vvitli the stron;; heat, 

 and to be struck oflf by tlie culinary vessels. 



Once in three or four days a little straw, or a few shavin^.s or 

 sticks of brush-wood, should be kindled in t!ie fire-place, and 

 suffered to burn freely for a few minutes witli the dam|)ers open, 

 to clear the flues of soot, which would otherwise collect and im- 

 pede the passage of the smoke. With this precaution, the stop- 

 pers, which are left for cleaning them, will only require to be 

 withdrawn once in a quarter of a year or longer, to remove the 

 ashes of the soot, which is readily done with a brush having a 

 flexible wire handle. 



If at any time, for want of burning out, the flues should get so 

 full of soot as to impede the current of the smoke, which only 

 happens from inattention, it may be easily broken down by intro- 

 ducing the brush, and then burnt, without the trouble of sweeping 

 it out. 



The high price of what are called the steam kitchens, their 

 complex structure, and the frequent repairs some of tliem stand 

 in need of, together with the diificulty of heating boilers, ovens, 

 &c. veco?io7nicalli/, from an open fire, even were the flues which 

 surround their sides constructed in the most advantageous man- 

 ner, are objections to their general adoption ; not to mention the 

 smoke, soot, and dust of open fires, and the more extensive ap- 

 plication to the purposes of drying and warming of which a stove 

 is capable. 



I fear 1 may have trespassed on the patience of some of your 

 readers by descending too much into detail on a humble subject; 

 but I trust to their candour for excuse, when it is considered that 

 my observations are ultimately for the use of persons in the 

 humbler situations of life ; that our culinary processes are, even at 

 this enlightened period, cominoidy conducted with scarcely more 

 skill in the application of heat, tiian they were by our aboriginal 

 ancestors: that individuals accustomed always to open fires are 

 likely at first to experience occasional embarrassment in the di- 

 rection of its unseen energies in a more artificial manner; and 

 that the highest speculations of science, however gratifying to 

 our vanity, are comparatively of little value till they are made 

 subservient to our necessities. I am, sir. 



Your obedient servant, 

 Maliiitburv, Ucc. 10, IQIO. RlCH. P. Pl.A YER. 



Z 4 LXXXIV. A 



