48 SCIENCE IN SHORT CHAPTERS. 



air which enters below and at the back of the oven, travels 

 along and finds exit above and in front, by the steam-pipe 

 before named. 



The result is a practical attainment of theoretical perfection. 

 Instead of the joint being dried and corticated outside, made 

 tough, leathery, and flavorless to about an inch of depth, then 

 fairly cooked an inch further, and finally left raw, disgusting, 

 and bloody in the middle, as it is in the orthodox roasting by 

 British cooks, the whole is uniformly cooked throughout with- 

 out the soddeaing action of mere boiling or steaming, as the 

 excess of moisture is removed by the final current of hot dry 

 air thrown in by the blow-pipes, which at the same time give 

 the whole surface a uniform browning that can be regulated 

 at will without burning any portion or wasting the external fat. 



Rumford's second rule, that air be admitted only from 

 below, and be limited to the requirements, is so simple that no 

 comment upon it is needed. Although we have done so little 

 in the improvement of domestic fireplaces, great progress has 

 been made in engine furnaces, blast furnaces, and all other fire- 

 places for engineering and manufacturing purposes. Every 

 furnace engineer now fully appreciates Rumford's assertion 

 that excess of cold air is a thief. 



The third rule is one which, as I have already stated, stands 

 seriously in the way of any commercial " pushing" of Rum- 

 ford's kitchen ranges. Those which he figures and describes 

 are all of them masonic structures, not ironmongery ; the 

 builder must erect them, they cannot be bought ready-made ; 

 but, now that public attention is roused, I believe that any 

 builder who will study Rumford's plans and drawings, which 

 are very practically made, may do good service to himself and 

 his customers by fitting up a few houses with true Rumford 

 kitcheners, and offering to reconstruct existing kitchen ranges, 

 especially in large houses. 



The fourth rule is one that is sorely violated in the majority 

 of kitcheners, and without any good reason. The heat from 

 the fire of any kitchener, whether it be of brick or iron, 

 should first do the work demanding the highest temperature 

 viz. roasting and baking, then proceed to the boiler or boilers, 

 and after this be used for supplying the bedrooms and bath- 

 room and the housemaid, etc. with hot water for general use, 

 as Rumford did in his house at Brompton Row, where his 

 chimney terminated in metal pipes that passed through a 

 water-tank at the top of the house. 



