CHARCOAL-BURNING. 589 



viii. Wall-bin u and Cooling down the Kiln. 



Every evening during the burning of the kiln the burners 

 should adopt proper measures to secure regularity in the 

 burning. Places where the charcoal is already burnt 

 should be beaten down with a mallet, any fillings which 

 may be required should be effected, cracks which may have 

 opened in the covering should be carefully closed and all holes 

 closed if the weather is stormy. Frequent inspection of the 

 kiln at night is necessary. 



Towards the completion of the carbonisation, when the kiln 

 has sunk considerably and the upper covering is very dry and 

 cracked, it should be well beaten down and covered with damp 

 earth, or watered, so as to exclude the air more and more. As 

 soon as the lower covering burns and flames appear at the 

 foot of the kiln, it is clear that the carbonisation is completed ; 

 all vent-holes must then be stopped and the whole surface of 

 the kiln covered with damp earth. The kiln is then left alone 

 for about 24 hours. Then in order to hasten the cooling, the 

 burners remove the covering in strips and apply fresh earth to 

 the glowing charcoal so as to fill up all crevices. This 

 extinguishes the fire rapidly, an important point when the 

 weather is dry ; about 24 hours, as a rule, after this has been 

 done, the charcoal may be removed. 



ix. licmnrul of I he. f 7/arcoa/. 



In order that the charcoal may be of good quality, it should 

 not remain longer than is necessary in the glow of the 

 kiln. At the same time it must be removed gradually, so as 

 not to set the kiln in a blaze. A commencement is made in 

 the evening and the work continued all night, when any fire 

 may be seen nmn; re;idily: each night only a certain quantity 

 of the charcoal is removed, according to the size of the kiln. 



The method adopted is us follows: The burner, with a long- 

 toothfid iron fork, opens the kiln on the leeward side and 

 removes as much charcoal as he can without setting the kiln in 

 flames. The charcoal is laid on one side and usually watered, 

 whilst the hole is filled with earth. Then the kiln is opened 



