132 Earth-burning. [Part II. 



"raise the walls, and still go on. No rain will affect the 

 fire when once it is become strong. 



206. The principle is to keep out air, whether at the 

 top or the sides, and this you are sure to do, if you keep 

 iu tlic smoke. I burnt, this last summer, about thirty 

 wagon loads in one round kiln, and never saw the 

 smoke at all after the first four days. I put in my 

 finger to try wlietlier the fire A\-as near the top ; and 

 when I found it approaching, I put on more earth. 

 Never was a kiln more completely bumf. 



207. Now, this may be done on the skirt of any 

 wood, where the matters are all at hand. This mode 

 is far preferable to the above-yroinid burning in heaps. 

 Because, in the first place, there the materials must 

 be turf, and dry turf ; and, in the next place, the 

 smoke escapes there, which is the finest part of burnt 

 matter. ,Soot, we know well, is more powerful than 

 ashes; and soot is composed of the grossest part of 

 the smoke. That which flies out of the chimney is 

 the best part of all. 



200. In case of a want of u-ood wherewitli to begin 

 the fire, the fire may be lighted precisely as in the case 

 of parinff and burnhig. If the kiln be large, t!ie oblong 

 square is the best figure. About ten feet wide, because 

 then a man can fling the eartli easily over every part. 

 The mode they pursue in England, -where there is no 

 wood, is to make a sort of building in the kiln with 

 turfs, and leave air-holes at tlie corners of the walls, till 

 the fire be well begun. Hut this is tedious work ; and, 

 in this country wholly unnecessary. Care must, how- 

 ever, be taken, that the fire be well lighted. The mat- 

 ter put in at first should be such as is of the lightest 

 description; so that a body of earth on fire may be 

 obtained, before it be too heavily loaded. 



209. The burning being completed, having got the 

 quantity you want, let the kiln remain. The fire will 

 continue to Mork, 'till all is ashes. If you want to use 

 the ashes sooner, open the kiln. They Mill be cold 

 enough to remove in a week. 



210. Some persons have peat, or bog earth. This 

 may be burnt like common earth, in kilns, or dry, as in 

 the paring and burning method. Only, thepea^ should 



