and the Economy of Fuel. 155 



portion of cold limestone with which the kiln is charged. 

 To facilitate this communication of heat from the red-hot 

 lime just burned to the limestone above in the upper 

 part of the kiln, a gentle draught of air through the kiln 

 from the bottom to the top of it must be established 

 by leaving an opening in the door below, by which the 

 cold air from without may be suffered to enter the kiln. 

 This opening (which should be furnished with some 

 kind of a register) must be very small, otherwise it will 

 occasion too strong a draught of cold air into the kiln, 

 and do more harm than good ; and it will probably be 

 found to be best to close it entirely, after the lime in the 

 lower part of the kiln has parted with a certain proportion 

 of its heat. 



Conceiving the improvement of lime-kilns to be a 

 matter of very great national importance, especially 

 since the use of lime as manure has become so general, 

 I intend to devote the first leisure time I can spare to 

 a thorough investigation of that subject. In the mean 

 time, I have here thrown out the loose ideas I have 

 formed respecting it, in order that they may be exam- 

 ined, corrected, and improved upon by others who may 

 be engaged in the same pursuits. 



The model I caused to be constructed in the court- 

 yard of the Dublin Society is, I am sensible, very 

 imperfect. It was built in a great hurry, being begun 

 and finished the same day, the day but one before I 

 left Ireland ; but I am now engaged in constructing a 

 lime-kiln on the same principles (for the use of the farm 

 in the English Garden at Munich), which I shall take 

 pains to make as perfect as possible ; and, should it be 

 found to answer as well as I have reason to hope it will, 

 I shall not fail to give a particular account of it to the 



